If you are looking for an amazing Mushroom Soup recipe that is easy to make and tastes terrific, here it is. This was my first time cooking and eating mushroom soup. If I can do it, so can you. It is delicious!
I'm not sure what the hold up was with my putting off enjoying mushroom soup. It's like I always knew it would be good but I never had anyone make it for me and its one of those things I knew wouldn't be as good from a can. Mushrooms are best enjoyed when fresh and I wanted my first mushroom soup experience to be a superior one. I like jarred mushrooms, don't get me wrong. I use them often with steaks or homemade pizza if I don't have fresh ones on hand. Soups are always best with fresh ingredients in my opinion. At any rate, it was well worth the wait.
Super Foods
"It's a fungus, though"
Any time you have an opportunity to enjoy fresh mushrooms, do so. Of course, only the edible ones. Mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamins, nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and protein. They are a great immune system booster and also have anti-inflammatory qualities. Mushrooms are a great choice for people trying to lose weight, have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. They even have properties that help fight a number of diseases, including cancer. The point is, they are very very good for you.
Let's dive in
Ingredients you'll need: (Approximately 8 servings)
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 Cup of chopped onion (refer to my Steak with Mushroom Gravy for onion slicing instructions).
3/4 Cup of chopped carrots
1/2 Cup of chopped celery
16 Ounces of mushrooms (your choice) - I used Shiitake, Oyster, and Cremini
3 Cloves of minced garlic - I substituted with a garlic shaker
1/2 Cup of white wine - I used Chateau Morrissette Sweet Mountain Laurel
6 Cups of vegetable broth
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1 Cup heavy cream
1/3 Cup of flour
1 Recipe of cooked wild rice
2 Teaspoons chopped thyme - I substituted with a shaker
Alright, Rock n Roll
In a small pot, follow the instructions on the wild rice and get that going. Only takes a minute or so, so I'd do that first and set it aside. For the soup, you'll need a 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Melt your butter and add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook on medium heat about 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
Add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir frequently and cook for about 10-15 minutes until its all good and tender. The liquid from the mushrooms should be about evaporated. Then slowly pour in the wine stirring for another minute or two.
The smell should be about to drive you mad about now. Ummmm what a delicious smell emanating from your kitchen. Friends will start to gather.
Now add the broth, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Take a small bowl and combine the cream and flour. Stir it into a broth mixture. Pour it in and stir it until it thickens and appears bubbly. Stir in the rice and thyme. Increase the heat until it boils then reduce the heat. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes allowing the flavors to blend into deliciousness. Season it to taste with salt and pepper then serve.
Oh my goodness
This is so good, seriously. If you are a fan of mushroom soup or if you have never tried it, this is an excellent recipe to start with. I will say that, in my opinion, it is best eaten the day of. So cook this for your family or if you are having guests over. Most recipes I've cooked are even better the second day. I can't say this for this recipe though. I had left overs the next day and I wasn't as impressed as I was at the time I cooked it. The main issue was that it thickened up overnight and I had to add a little water to it which sort of lessened it for me flavor-wise. It was still good but I wasn't as over joyed about it as I was initially.
Don't let that stop you from giving it a try. It's a perfect recipe for the Winter months or now that we are almost approaching Spring. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading.
Have a great weekend!