Classic Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced (~2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Build the Flavor Base

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, get the butter melting over medium heat.

Add the diced onions and cook for ~8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and turn translucent at the edges.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until you can smell it.

Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add half the mushrooms and let them cook, stirring only occasionally. Once they release their water and start to brown, pull them out and set them aside. Repeat with the second batch.

Return the first batch of mushrooms and the cooked onions to the pot.

Thicken and Simmer the Soup

Sprinkle the flour over everything in the pot. Stir it constantly for about two minutes; this toasts the flour and gets rid of any raw taste.

Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps from forming.

Add the thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for ~15 minutes so the flavors can come together.

Add the Cream and Serve

Turn the heat to low and stir in the half-and-half. Let it warm through for a few minutes, but don’t let it boil or it can curdle.

Taste it now and add more salt if it needs it before serving.

Classic Cream of Mushroom Soup

It’s a pain, but browning the mushrooms in batches is the only way to get them to caramelize instead of steam. That browning is where all the deep, savory flavor comes from.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cremini mushrooms baby bella, sliced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions ~2 cups, diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

• Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Cook onions 8-10 minutes until translucent.
• Add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Cook mushrooms in two batches until browned, removing first batch before cooking second.
• Return all mushrooms and onions to pot.
• Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir constantly 2 minutes.
• Gradually stir in chicken broth to prevent lumps.
• Add thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, stir in half-and-half until warmed through. Do not boil.
• Season to taste with additional salt if needed.

Notes

Avoid boiling after adding cream to prevent curdling.