Mushroom Soup Recipe

There are two ways to make mushroom soup– Cream Of Mushroom soup and regular mushroom soup. Cream of Mushroom is typically a condensed creamy soup much thicker in consistency and made with a thickener like cornstarch or flour. It’s best used in casserole recipes and comes in different flavors like mushrooms, celery, or cream of chicken. 

Homemade mushrooms soups are similarly the same, although much more flavorful depending on the kind of mushrooms used. Some recipes call for less flour than others are much thinner than the canned soups. 

This Mushroom soup is made without a roux and way tastier than any condensed cream of mushroom soup from a can! It’s a mushroom soup recipe made of basic ingredients like carrot, onion, and button mushrooms then simmered in a chicken and mushroom broth with cream cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream. 

Most Cream of Mushroom Soup recipes, do contain flour when making the roux. However, this recipe is totally gluten-free, just be sure to check the ingredient list of your bottle of spices to ensure it’s gluten-free. 

I still use creamy cream cheese and sour cream for this soup only minus the flour or cornstarch. 

This mushroom soup is made without a roux or slurry, which makes it on the thinner side. It has heavy whipping cream and a block of creamy cream cheese that thins out when added to the broth. For a thicker mushroom soup, you will want to use flour or cornstarch as a thickener. Since this recipe is the opposite of homemade cream of mushroom soup, it is not nearly as thick.

This cream-infused mushroom soup from scratch is full of flavor making it far more flavorful than any canned soup! Fresh dill is a Ukrainian staple herb used throughout our cuisine. For a full-flavored soup add fresh garlic or parsley! To make a golden mushroom soup use paprika or cayenne pepper for a gold hue.

I love that it’s cooked with easy-to-find ingredients and many are probably in your kitchen now. It’s easy to make and is loaded with potatoes, carrots, onion, and button mushrooms making it an incredible vegetarian mushroom soup, not vegan! Here’s how to make this satisfying bowl of goodness;

• To Begin: bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a 5-quart pot. Add the bouillon cubes and simmer until the potatoes are tender (25 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, Sautee the mushrooms, onions, and carrots in a few Tbsp of oil until mushrooms have reduced in size (10 minutes.) Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream until melted. Whisk in the heavy cream and add to the simmering pot of potatoes.
• Add the seasoning, salt, and pepper to the potatoes.
• Garnish will fresh dill or parsley.
• Serve warm with crusty bread.

Tip: To make a golden mushroom soup use paprika or cayenne pepper for a gold hue. Also straining the mushroom juices when they release during cooking makes for homemade mushroom broth, simply strain right into the pot of potatoes when juices have been released.

This is not a vegan mushroom soup. Since it’s loaded with dairy products like cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream, I cannot recommend any alternatives because that’s what gives this soup so much flavor. 

I love how simple and easy this soup comes together! The only complicated ingredient is the mushroom bouillon cubes, however, they are easily available online and found in most Russian or Polish supermarkets. Also, feel free to use part chicken broth for the water and omit the chicken bouillon. 

Ingredients:

• Vegetables- I diced an onion and grated one large carrot for this mushroom soup. Feel free to add fresh garlic. 
• Mushrooms- use Bella baby mushrooms or white button mushrooms, those are easily available. This recipe calls for 24 oz of white button mushrooms.
• Cream Cheese- I used 1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese.
• Sour Cream- Daisy brand is my favorite brand! Some other sour creams seem to be diluted thinner, not Daisy’s. 
• Seasonings- a spice blend like Mrs. Dash is an all-purpose seasoning easily available in most grocery stores. I use that with a conjunction of salt and pepper. 
• Broth- Use about 2 cups of chicken broth in place of 2 cups of the water called for in this recipe. Otherwise, season the water with bouillon cubes or chicken stock powder. You can also use part vegetable broth.
• Potatoes- I used Yukon golden potatoes but russet or any white potatoes will work. 
• Fresh herbs- use fresh dill or parsley as the garnish. 

Note: if you cannot find mushroom bouillon cubes, make your own! Simply strain the juice from your mushrooms when they fry. That’s your homemade mushroom broth; add it to the simmering pot of potatoes. 

This mushroom soup yields about a gallon of soup. Use a 5-quart pot or anything that will accommodate that much liquid. 

Leftovers can keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Anything longer should be frozen. 

To Reheat: simply revive the soup by reheating it in a stockpot. Or you can microwave until hot. 

I’ve had successful results with freezing cream of mushroom soup or most gravy recipes in general. Mushrooms freeze well if they will be repurposed for stews, stir-fry, or soups. 

Mushroom soup would make a great slow-cooker soup for a busy weeknight dinner. Simply pour the water into the crockpot with the potatoes and spices then cook over high for 4-6 hours or until potatoes are almost done.

An hour before the soup is done, saute the grated carrots and onion in oil. Melt in the cream cheese and sour cream, then toss into the crockpot and heat thoroughly (1 hour.) 

This soup is loaded with a ton of flavor so there’s no need to go out of your way for porcini, or shitake mushrooms.

The best and most available mushrooms are cremini mushrooms like Bella or white button mushrooms. They are cheap and work fantastic! 

Pack extra protein and nutrition, into your soup by adding protein like meats, grains, or green vegetables. Soups are a great way to clean out the fridge! Here are some ideas but don’t go too overboard!

• Chicken- chicken breast pieces would work great in this mushroom soup! Season it with poultry seasoning and fry it in cubed pieces. 
• Celery- add a stalk of celery.
• Leftover beef or steaks- have a piece of steak sitting in the fridge? Cut it up and simmer it with the potatoes. 
• Grains- like wild rice, barley, or buckwheat can be thrown into the soup in 1/2 portions. 
• Greens- add a handful of kale or fresh green herbs towards the end for an extra boost and garnish. 

Soups go best with a hearty loaf of bread or crackers. If you need more sides here are some ideas to serve a mushroom soup; 

• Squash Dinner Rolls– perfect for fall!
• Cranberry Sauce- to slather over bread! 
• Dill Pickles- for a vinegary side to this cream-infused soup. 
• Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread- so hearty and filling! 
• Parmesan Crostini Recipe– perfect crusty slices of bread to dip into the soup!

This soup is perfect to clean out your stomach and isn’t as thick or creamy as store canned cream soups. 

Absolutely! Soups are a great way to use up leftover meats or veggies! And if you want to fry up some chicken thighs or chicken breast pieces that works fine too!