Creamy and luxurious, with just a hint of spice and herbs, this recipe for mushroom soup is best made with wild mushrooms for an intense and earthy flavor. You can use one kind of mushroom or use different kinds of mushrooms for a wider spectrum of flavors and a more exquisite flavor. Serve hot with some crusty bread for a sumptuous starter or a comforting snack to warm you during chilly days or winter nights. Get more home cooking recipes.

Fresh mushrooms is best when making luscious mushroom soup but if you only have dried mushrooms, you can still make a tasty soup. Be sure to reconstitute the dried mushrooms first before cooking. It should be soaked I warm water, broth, or white wine for at least 30 minutes. Place the mushrooms and liquid in a bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Drain, rinse and dry the mushrooms on paper towels. The water or broth that was used to reconstitute the mushrooms, make a flavorful addition to the soup. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth or very fine sieve before adding to the soup to remove any sediment. Mushroom stems can be reserved to make a flavorful stock so don’t discard them after trimming the mushrooms.

Some of the best kinds of mushrooms for making a flavorful, aromatic and earthy mushroom soup include porcini, chanterelles, portobello, button, shiitake, and morels. You can use a mix of dried and fresh mushrooms to achieve a depth of flavor. Garnish the creamy mushroom soup with grilled crositinis or cruotons. You can also stir-fry chenterelles, oyster mushrooms, girolles, or other kinds of mushrooms and use this as a garnish. Other delectable garnish possibilities are grated Parmesan cheese, truffle oil, chopped chives, chili pepper, fresh or dried herbs, caramelized onions, toasted garlic, or more cream.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 qt. chicken broth
2 cups light cream
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

While mixture is simmering, clean mushrooms by wiping them with a moist paper towel. Trim off stem ends and chop mushrooms into pieces. Place in food processor or blender, along with a bit of the broth. Puree.

Add pureed mushrooms to broth. Stir in the cream. Add seasonings. Simmer an additional 4-5 minutes, but do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and serve.