Most people I know wouldn’t dream of eating cream of mushroom soup on its own. They like it just fine in recipes, but that’s as far as it goes. I’ve heard random reasons like it’s too boring, it reminds them of glue (lol, what?!), or it’s too unhealthy. I’ve even had people tell me, oh, I thought it was only used for cooking! A couple more questions always reveals that they have never had homemade cream of mushroom soup, only the stuff from the can. And I agree, who would be head over heels for that?
I like to make my own because it’s a world of difference from the canned variety (like night and day), plus I can customize it to suit my tastes. For example, I love the freshness of thyme and the woodsy flavor of rosemary paired with mushrooms, so I always add both these herbs. And I’d venture to say that my version is much healthier than the canned stuff, since there is no cream, very little butter, and much less salt. If you think you don’t like cream of mushroom soup but you’ve never had homemade, I recommend giving this a try!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
(Yield: About 3 c, or 4 servings)
2 TB olive oil
6 oz cremini (baby portabella), white button, or any mix of mushrooms you like, wiped clean and diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TB minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary)
1/2 TB minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
2 TB dry white wine (or water)
1 TB unsalted butter
2 TB all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c whole milk
1 vegetable stock cube (or you could use a chicken or beef stock cube)
Salt and pepper
Add olive oil to a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat; when oil starts to ripple, add mushrooms and sauté until browned (about 5-7 minutes). Turn heat down to medium-low and add onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf; sauté until onion is softened (about 5 minutes). Add wine, then turn heat up to medium-high and cook about 1 minute, until liquid is cooked off (use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom).
In a separate medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter; whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk, stock cube, and 1/8 tsp pepper, and bring up to a boil (stirring occasionally), then turn heat down slightly and boil gently for 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
Transfer white sauce to the pot with the mushrooms; turn heat on medium-low and gently simmer 5-10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Carol says
February 16, 2011 at 9:17 pmI love cream of mushroom soup, yours has such great flavors and I love that it doesn’t use heavy cream! Looks delicious!
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
February 16, 2011 at 9:51 pmahhh this word verification is giving me carpel tunnel!
i wanted to comment though… even tho it huRTS
THIS SOUP LOOKS SO GOOD!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
February 16, 2011 at 9:55 pmI love homemade mushroom soup- the canned stuff doesn’t even hold a candle to it. Yours looks wonderful!
Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen says
February 16, 2011 at 11:22 pmI ADORE homemade mushroom soup! Add some potatoes and you’ve got yourself the best soup in the world :)
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
February 16, 2011 at 11:50 pmThis looks fabulous and it has its own little mug too! :) I don’t think I’ve ever used cream of mushroom soup in a recipe but I have eaten it fresh on its own and you’re right, it’s so much better than canned! :)
aipi says
February 16, 2011 at 11:51 pmJust bookmarked this one – It sounds great. I know i will make it as my hubby devours this one and your recipe looks perfect n I love that you didn’t use any heavy cream :)
US Masala
Monet says
February 17, 2011 at 12:08 amI go through a carton of mushrooms every few days, so I’m sure I would savor this homemade mushroom soup! Thank you for sharing yourself with me tonight. Your words and recipes always bring me joy.
BeadedTail says
February 17, 2011 at 12:08 amI love mushrooms but have never had homemade mushroom soup. I am certainly going to have to make this since it looks so good!
Veronica says
February 17, 2011 at 12:17 amYeah, the canned stuff I wouldn’t even consider eating on it’s own but this is just lovely! And yes, much healthier! I love your bowl and even the spoon with the matte finish. I usually don’t notice the props used in food photos, just the overall look, but the (vintage?) bowl was just too cute not to notice and then I started studying it a little more and saw how nice the spoon was too!
Angie's Recipes says
February 17, 2011 at 12:29 amHad some mushroom soup last week, and it’s really delicious. Gotta try your recipe too. Looks fantastic!
LeQuan says
February 17, 2011 at 12:33 amFaith, thank you for this healthier version of mushroom soup. My kiddies love mushroom soup but I have never made homemade for them. With this wonderful healthier recipe, I now have no excuse not to. I love the bowl you used for your soup, too cute!
Barbara Bakes says
February 17, 2011 at 12:36 amLove that you even have a mushroom soup crock. It looks creamy and delicious.
Carolyn Jung says
February 17, 2011 at 12:45 amI grew up with this out of a can. Man, yours looks WAY better! I can practically taste it just by looking at the pics.
Rosa says
February 17, 2011 at 1:35 amLipsmackingly good!
Cheers,
Rosa
theUngourmet says
February 17, 2011 at 2:41 amYour cream of mushroom soup looks heavenly! I love the nice herbs in the recipe. I’m so crazy for mushrooms. I just have to make this! ;)
Cherine says
February 17, 2011 at 3:17 amI just love this soup!! yours looks so creamy and delicious!
Priya says
February 17, 2011 at 3:44 amYumm, thats a delicious soup,looks absolutely divine..
crustabakes says
February 17, 2011 at 4:33 amyup, i agree with you, the best thing about homemade everything is that u can customize according to your preference. This looks like a very yummy soup!
Sharon @ Fun and Life says
February 17, 2011 at 4:37 amOh I love cream of mushroom. Who says it tastes like glue? Lol. I never eat canned soups so I only have this in restaurants, but not too often because of all the cream in it. This sounds brilliant! Much healthier and less calorific haha. Would be great with some bread!
Linda Wagner - Nutrition to Invigorate Mind, Body & Spirit says
February 17, 2011 at 4:50 amOh yummm! This looks delicious!! I love a nice simple, creamy soup! Can’t wait to try it!
Chiara says
February 17, 2011 at 5:19 amYour soup looks amazing and I would definitely eat it by itself. Actually, nobody uses canned mushroom soup in recipes in Italy ( I don’t think they even sell it here!) so I discovered in my early 20s when I moved to the US!
Julie M. says
February 17, 2011 at 7:23 amHomemade cream of mushroom soup is like heaven in a bowl. I love your version; I can almost taste the thyme and rosemary. What a hearty, earthy, delicious bowl of soup! I wish we lived closer, I’d be over in a heart beat to share a bowl with you!
Blond Duck says
February 17, 2011 at 7:28 amCould you freeze this? This would be so much better than canned versions.
kalli says
February 17, 2011 at 8:37 amlooks delicious faith! hope you are having a great week.
Nicole, RD says
February 17, 2011 at 8:50 amI loooove cream of mushroom soup – I always get it at restaurants. Campbells just won’t do! I have to try this :)
5 Star Foodie says
February 17, 2011 at 8:59 amA terrific version of cream of mushroom soup! I love your additions of both rosemary and thyme, excellent flavors!
Beth says
February 17, 2011 at 9:26 amI’m one of those people who never thought of making mushroom soup to eat. You’ve given me a good reason to try!
admin says
February 17, 2011 at 10:44 amSharon @ Fun and Life: I can’t name names to tell you who, as they (yes, there are more than one!) read my blog. ;) And if you were familiar with the canned variety of this soup that is sold here in the U.S., likening it to glue (truth be told, paste seems even more appropriate) may not be all that strange, lol! Which is why I make my own. :)
Blond Duck: Generally, I only freeze soups that are broth-based because I’ve noticed that milk or cream-based soups have the tendency to curdle when re-heated. That being said, I’ve never tried freezing this specific soup so I really can’t say for sure…but I don’t recommend it! :)
Patty Price says
February 17, 2011 at 10:47 amI like your healthier version of cream of mushroom soup and that bowl is too cute!
I saw the most beautiful mushrooms at a mushroom store in the Sf Ferry building yesterday and I was thinking, what can I do with these? Thanks for sharing your soup recipe:-)
Barbara says
February 17, 2011 at 11:42 amI’d make mushroom soup all the time if I had that bowl, Faith. :)
I like the herbs a lot….probably couldn’t resist adding cream to mine…bad, bad bad.
Katerina says
February 17, 2011 at 12:01 pmI totally agree with you homemade is unbeatable. It makes a whole lot of difference. Your soup would be ideal for me now that I have a cold.
Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz says
February 17, 2011 at 12:13 pmI am not a bog soup person but I do enjoy a nice mushroom sup. And it is true the real homemade stuff rules. Your recipe looks very tempting.
Maria @ Scandifoodie says
February 17, 2011 at 12:44 pmTo me, this sounds perfect. I love thyme and rosemary!
Mia says
February 17, 2011 at 1:19 pmFaith, if anybody has ur cream of mushroom soup again , they\’d never go to the canned variety and i come from a land where canned soups aint the rage!
I have made cream of mushrooms soups with all sorts of additions ,but ur recipe fantastically tops any of those:-)
And oh the cute little mug:-)
Swathi says
February 17, 2011 at 1:26 pmAwesome cream of mushroom soup. I love mushroom to this is soup for me.
Susan says
February 17, 2011 at 2:00 pmBoth the husband and I love mushroom soup. Nothing can compare to homemade! I agree, the stuff out of the can – ewww! This looks like a wonderful recipe and I love that soup mug of yours :)
Christina says
February 17, 2011 at 2:48 pmI love cream of mushroom soup, and that looks gorgeous!
adele says
February 17, 2011 at 5:08 pmExcellent soup. I made it as soon as I read the recipe. I can’t believe how simple it was to make and how delicious the result was. This is the kind of soup you don’t want to share… and I don’t even like mushrooms that much!
admin says
February 17, 2011 at 5:36 pmAdele: I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Thanks so much for letting me know! :)
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy says
February 17, 2011 at 6:08 pmCreamy soups are one of my favourites.Though they are in no way healthy.Your version with thyme and rosemary sounds really aromatic.
Raina says
February 17, 2011 at 7:49 pmI have only had cream of mushroom soup once, and it was in a restaurant and I loved it, but I am sure that version was loaded with fat. I can always count on you to come up with a healthy version of the foods that I love. This sounds wonderful:)
Reeni says
February 17, 2011 at 9:13 pmThis is so rich and creamy, Faith! And I love the herbs you used in it. Just the way canned soup looks when you open it is a big turn off to me – this is a million times better!
Erica says
February 17, 2011 at 9:48 pmI wish I liked mushrooms! Because this sounds like its super tasty! I always up for a good soup :) Happy (almost) Friday!
Lu @ Done Dieting says
February 17, 2011 at 11:29 pmYou did say that was mushroom soup, right? Not amazing, creamy, heaven in a bowl? I can’t seem to distinguish the difference right now.
A Canadian Foodie says
February 17, 2011 at 11:33 pmLOVE the bowl. Try an ounce of dried, reconstituted chopped porcini in this soup. It will bring it to a whole other level – though it is clearly delicious now… I have a recipe so similar, and then – added some porcini and – swoon… a little white truffle oil on top – and double soon.
Love that bowl!
:)
valerie
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
February 18, 2011 at 12:04 amYou got to the crux of the problem – most people have only had canned cream of mushroom soup – so no wonder they don’t like it! They don’t know what they’re missing! And the earthier the mushroom the better! What a cute terrine, too :)
Lentil Breakdown says
February 18, 2011 at 12:26 amJust my type of soup: herbiferous, vegelicious and not too rich! But I would have to add shitakes. Don’t try to stop me!
Quay Po Cooks says
February 18, 2011 at 3:15 amIt has been a while I made cream of mushroom soup. Thanks for the reminder. Your soup looks so creamy and delicious!
Joanne says
February 18, 2011 at 7:35 amI try not to judge food by its canned version and I would be more than happy to give this lusciously creamy soup a go! So beautiful!
Krista says
February 18, 2011 at 10:05 amHomemade cream of mushroom soup is the BEST!
Magic of Spice says
February 18, 2011 at 7:26 pmCream of mushroom has always been a favorite of mine and this is a lovely recipe :)
Anna Johnston says
February 19, 2011 at 2:24 amWhen I was little I had a thing for cream of mushroom soup, Mum used to make it just like this. I haven’t had it for ages either, thinking I’ll have to remedy that huh :)
Diane says
February 19, 2011 at 11:38 amWe have no CSN so it is difficult to check it out… Love this recipe it sounds extra tasty. Diane
nancy at good food matters says
February 20, 2011 at 5:10 pmSo good that you kept this vegetarian. And, you’re right, Real mushroom soup is nothing like the glutenous canned stuff that people have dumped into casseroles!
I have used mushroom broth (in those soft liter containers) to great success in certain soup recipes that would work great in your creamy soup.
Nancy-SpicieFoodie says
February 20, 2011 at 7:53 pmI hate canned soups, fresh homemade is so much better. Cream of mushroom soup is on my top favorites, so good and addicting. Your recipe sounds delicious. The cup is adorable.
marla {family fresh cooking} says
February 21, 2011 at 8:12 amI do love a good homemade cream of mushroom soup & love that your recipe is not heavy at all. Must try soon :)
Krystal says
February 21, 2011 at 8:33 pmI just bought some fresh mushrooms and garlic today. I wanted something fresh and healthy to boost my immune system. I’m going to go attempt and make that right now. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Krystal says
February 21, 2011 at 9:37 pmWow, that is delicious. I followed your recipe. Used chicken bullion because it was all i had, and delicious. Even with the 5 year old getting a goose egg the size of an egg in the middle of making it, it was quick and easy and a great gourmet flavor to die for. Thanks for sharing your recipes i love them all.
Nutmeg Nanny says
February 21, 2011 at 9:57 pmI love cream of mushroom soup. I used to eat it a lot when I was a kid. I love the homemade version…yum!
Hannah says
February 22, 2011 at 7:47 pmI’ve never actually had cream of mushroom soup, but as a big mushroom-lover, I know I’d go crazy for it! Thrilled you have this recipe with whole foods, nothing mysterious from a can, so I can actually veganize it with ease. I think that cashew milk might make for the perfect sub here… Mm, I can taste it now!
dawn says
February 24, 2011 at 9:11 amI made this cream of mushroom soup. I did use a 1/2 oz. of dried porcinis and added the water I used to hydrate the dried mushrooms… Kinda like a mushroom broth. I added it to the broth added in the recipe and added a slight increase to the amount of flour just to account for the extra liquid. I loved this soup. The flavor was really robust and savory and I plan on using what was left (which wasn’t much) to make a casserole of some sort…Thank you. I will use this one again
admin says
February 24, 2011 at 12:14 pmKrystal, I’m happy you liked it!! And oh no, hope your little one is ok!
Dawn, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!! I bet the porcinis were a fantastic addition!
Sherlly says
May 6, 2011 at 1:14 pmI made this for lunch yesterday and it was so creamy and flavorful, overall delicious! Kept me full and happy =) Thanks!
Cinara says
July 10, 2011 at 11:39 amHello, Faith! I made this soup at home and it was delicious! I have just shared it in my blog, and added a link to your post. If you want to take a look, here’s the link: http://cinarasplace.blogspot.com/
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Best regards from Brazil!
admin says
July 10, 2011 at 5:42 pmCinara, Thanks so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! :)