Creamy Mushroom Soup
A rich and creamy mushroom soup is a cozy, flavorful, easy dinner that's perfect for chilly evenings!
Servings 5 cups
Calories 176kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 8 ounces fresh, sliced mushrooms
- ¼ cup finely-diced onion
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus additional (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (for a vegetarian soup)
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sherry
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or chives
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt; sauté until the mushrooms soften and release their juices. Reduce the heat to low; continue cooking and stirring the mushrooms until golden brown, about 8-10 more minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 more minutes.
- Add flour, dry mustard, salt and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until the broth thickens. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the half-and-half and sherry. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 more minutes, or until the soup is warmed through. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley or chives.
Notes
- Sherry is a fortified wine that adds so much rich flavor to this broth. Don't omit this ingredient -- it really sets the soup apart from its counterparts! In a pinch, you can substitute with red wine, white wine, marsala wine or port. Just make sure that you're not using sherry vinegar.
- Fresh herbs are best, since they brighten up the soup and add a nice contrast to the earthy mushrooms.
- Once you add the half-and-half, do not let the soup boil. Warm over low heat, then serve. Boiling may cause the cream to curdle.
- This recipe yields a relatively small portion of soup -- about 5 cups. If you're feeding a larger family, I recommend doubling all of the ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 357IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg