Description

This creamy mushroom soup combines white and Swiss Brown mushrooms for a balanced flavor and beautiful color. Simmered in vegetable stock and enriched with crème fraîche, this smooth, comforting soup is perfect for any season. Garnished with fresh herbs, croutons, and a drizzle of cream or olive oil, it’s ideal for dunking bread and warming up on a cozy day.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
400g / 14 oz white mushrooms
200g / 7 oz Swiss Brown / Cremini mushrooms
3 1/4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1/4 tsp salt, cooking/kosher
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup crème fraîche or full-fat cream

Garnishes and Serving

Croutons
Cream or extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Parsley (roughly chopped), chervil, or thyme leaves
Bread for dunking

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Instructions

Chopping mushrooms: Cut the mushrooms into 4 slices, then dice each slice into 3 or 4 pieces to get evenly sized chunks for consistent cooking.
Sauté onion and garlic: Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes until softened but not golden, ensuring a gentle base flavor.
Cook mushrooms: Add the prepared mushrooms to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Avoid browning as the mushrooms won’t color heavily due to crowding but will release their flavor.
Simmer: Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock along with salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to develop the flavors.
Add cream: Stir in crème fraîche or cream, then continue to simmer the soup gently for another 5 minutes, allowing it to thicken slightly.
Blend: Transfer the soup to a blender, working in batches if needed. Remove the blender lid cap and cover the opening with a folded tea towel to allow steam to escape safely. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Return to pot: Pour the blended soup back into the pot and simmer briefly for a minute or two until hot and any bubbles from blending subside.
Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or cream, sprinkling with croutons and chopped parsley or chervil if desired. Serve with bread for dunking.

Notes

Using a mix of mushrooms balances flavor and color. Swiss Brown mushrooms add deeper taste but darken the soup, while white mushrooms keep it paler.
Homemade vegetable stock greatly enhances the soup’s depth; chicken stock is a suitable alternative for non-vegetarians.
Crème fraîche adds a subtle tang and creamy texture but can be substituted with regular pouring cream if unavailable.
Croutons are made by cutting bread into small cubes, tossing in olive oil and salt, and baking at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes until golden and crunchy.
When blending hot soup, removing the blender lid cap and covering the opening with a towel safely releases steam, preventing the lid from blowing off.
Soup stores well for 4-5 days refrigerated and up to 3 months frozen.
Nutrition information excludes toppings like croutons and bread as their quantities can vary.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 300 ml)
Calories: 180 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 450 mg
Fat: 13 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 35 mg