Cream of Mushroom Soup
Deeply browned mushrooms simmered with thyme and finished with cream. It's richer than anything from a can and thickened without flour.
Nutrition per serving
1 cup- Net carbs
- 7.7g
- Calories
- 322kcal
- Protein
- 6.1g
- Fat
- 31g
- Total carbs
- 9.4 g
- Fiber
- 1.7 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Creamy chicken & mushroom: Seared chicken thigh pieces simmered in a chunkier version of the soup make it a hearty, stew-like dinner.
- Before the mushrooms, brown the chicken in a little of the butter for about 5 minutes and set it aside — it finishes cooking in the soup.
- Blend only a third of the soup (or none) so it stays chunky, then return the chicken and simmer 8–10 minutes, until it reaches 165°F (74°C), before adding the cream.
Vegan: Olive oil and full-fat coconut milk replace the butter and cream, and a little tamari deepens the savory flavor. Well-browned mushrooms keep the coconut in the background.
- Brown the mushrooms in olive oil instead of butter and use vegetable broth. Add the tamari with the broth.
- Stir in the coconut milk in place of the cream and thicken as written.
Wild mushroom: A mix of cremini, shiitake and portobello gives a deeper, earthier, almost meaty flavor than one kind of mushroom alone.
- Brown the mushrooms in batches by type — shiitakes brown fastest — and set aside a few of the best shiitake slices for the top.
- Deglaze with the dry sherry option; it suits the wild mushrooms.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $9.79 for 4 servings ($2.45 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone 2–3 minutes until browned underneath, then stir and cook 2–3 minutes more until golden and their liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the rest of the mushrooms.
-
Return all the mushrooms to the pot with the last tablespoon of butter. Lower the heat to medium, add the shallot, garlic and thyme, and cook 2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
-
Pour in the wine, if using, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom as it bubbles away, about 1 minute.
-
Add the broth, bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. Set aside a few mushroom slices for garnish and blend the soup with an immersion blender — fully smooth or with some texture left.
-
Stir in the cream and return to a gentle simmer. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface while whisking, then simmer 3–5 minutes until the soup coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper and top with the reserved mushrooms and parsley.
Tips for success
-
Don't crowd the pan. Mushrooms that steam instead of brown make a gray, bland soup — the deep browning is where the flavor comes from. - Need a stand-in for canned condensed soup in a casserole? Simmer an extra 10–15 minutes until reduced by about half; 1¼ cups replaces one 10.5-oz can.
- Spoon it over pork chops or seared chicken as a quick pan sauce.
Nice to have, not needed
- A splash of dry sherry or white wine deepens the flavor — the soup is still rich without it.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Reheat over medium-low heat, whisking well, until steaming.
Prep tip: Freeze in 1¼-cup portions — each one replaces a can of condensed soup in casseroles.
Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Whisk well as it reheats, since cream soups can separate slightly after freezing.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCreamy chicken & mushroom
ProteinSeared chicken thigh pieces simmered in a chunkier version of the soup make it a hearty, stew-like dinner.
- vegetable or chicken broth → chicken broth
- + 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6.8 g net · 461 kcal · 29 g protein · 36 g fat · ≈$3.44 per serving (−0.9 g net carbs vs the original)
Vegan
DietOlive oil and full-fat coconut milk replace the butter and cream, and a little tamari deepens the savory flavor. Well-browned mushrooms keep the coconut in the background.
- butter → olive oil
- heavy cream → canned coconut milk
- + 1 tsp tamari
7.8 g net · 252 kcal · 5.7 g protein · 23 g fat · ≈$2.38 per serving (+0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Wild mushroom
VeggiesA mix of cremini, shiitake and portobello gives a deeper, earthier, almost meaty flavor than one kind of mushroom alone.
- cremini or white mushrooms → cremini mushrooms
- + 4 oz shiitake mushrooms
- + 1 large portobello cap
8.3 g net · 325 kcal · 5.6 g protein · 31 g fat · ≈$3.68 per serving (+0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
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