Description
This creamy mushroom soup combines the earthy flavors of white and Swiss Brown mushrooms with a smooth texture, perfect for a comforting starter or light meal. Made with sautéed onions and garlic, simmered in vegetable stock, then blended until silky and finished with a touch of crème fraiche, it’s ideal served with crunchy croutons and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (30g)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 14 oz white mushrooms (400g)
- 7 oz Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms (200g)
- 3 1/4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock (780ml)
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup crème fraiche or full-fat cream (180ml)
Garnishes/Serving
- Croutons
- Cream or extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Parsley (roughly chopped), chervil, or thyme leaves
- Bread for dunking
Instructions
- Chopping mushrooms: Cut mushrooms into 4 slices each, then dice into 3 or 4 smaller pieces to prepare for cooking.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until softened but not golden.
- Cook mushrooms: Add all mushrooms to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Avoid browning the mushrooms as the pot is crowded and color is not desired here.
- Simmer: Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock, add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer gently for 15 minutes uncovered.
- Add cream: Stir in crème fraiche or cream, then continue simmering for another 5 minutes to meld flavors.
- Blend the soup: Transfer the hot soup in batches to a blender. Remove the cap from the blender lid’s feeding hole and cover it with a folded tea towel to allow steam to escape. Blend until completely smooth.
- Return and heat: Pour blended soup back into the pot and simmer for a minute or two until bubbling stops and soup is hot.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or cream, croutons, and fresh parsley, chervil, or thyme. Serve with bread for dunking.
Notes
- Use a mix of white and Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms for balanced flavor and color, though all white mushrooms work for a paler soup.
- Homemade vegetable stock greatly enhances flavor but store-bought or chicken stock are acceptable.
- Crème fraiche adds a mild tang and thickness, but full-fat cream is a great substitute.
- For croutons, cube crustless bread, toss with olive oil and salt, then bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through until golden and crunchy.
- When blending hot soup, always vent the blender lid with a towel to avoid explosions from steam pressure.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition information excludes toppings like croutons and any bread buttering.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
