There’s something about a bowl of creamy mushroom soup that just feels like comfort. This one’s made from scratch — real mushrooms, a little garlic, a splash of cream — no canned stuff involved. It comes together in under 40 minutes, and honestly, it tastes way better than anything from a can. Perfect for a cozy night in or as a starter when friends come over. Let’s make it.
TAHACOOKS
Based in London, Taha is a professional recipe developer and food photographer. Since launching TahaCooks in 2025, he has shared his decade of culinary expertise to help home cooks master gourmet flavors. Every recipe on the site is triple-tested and designed to bring restaurant-quality results to the everyday kitchen.
Rich & Creamy Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- 1 Large pot or Dutch oven For sautéing and simmering the soup
- Sharp knife For slicing mushrooms and chopping onion/garlic
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula For stirring, especially when adding flour
- Whisk To help prevent lumps when adding broth
- Immersion Blender Optional — for a smooth, silky texture
- Ladle For serving
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 3 tbs pUnsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 450 g Cremini mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Medium yellow onion Finely chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves Minced
- 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 3 cup Vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves
- pinch Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the fats — In a large pot, melt the butter with olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the mushrooms — Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and their moisture has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
- Cook the onion and garlic — Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and translucent, then stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 5 minutes).
- Add the flour — Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir constantly to coat everything and cook out the raw flour taste (about 2 minutes).
- Add the broth — Gradually pour in the broth, whisking or stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle boil
- Simmer the soup — Reduce heat and let the soup simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (about 15 minutes).
- Add cream and season — Stir in the heavy cream and fresh thyme, then season with salt and black pepper. Simmer gently for a few more minutes without boiling.
- Blend (optional) — For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to blend part or all of the soup to your desired consistency.
- Serve — Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
Serving & Presentation
Serve this soup hot, straight from the pot, in warm bowls to keep it cozy longer. A swirl of extra cream or a drizzle of good olive oil on top adds a nice restaurant-style touch. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a few sautéed mushroom slices for texture and visual appeal. A twist of cracked black pepper right before serving brightens the flavor. Pair it with crusty bread or a simple side salad for a complete meal. For a dinner party, serve it in smaller cups as an elegant starter before the main course.Why You Will Love this Rich & Creamy Mushroom Soup
I never thought I was a fan of mushroom soup. Most times I made it from a can (as who doesn’t as a child?), it was quite bland and I felt like it had a metallic aftertaste. This soup, however, is something special. It starts out with fresh cremini mushrooms that are cooked down to a deep golden brown and are slightly nutty in flavor. Their aroma fills the kitchen as you cook them with some onion and garlic, then add a bit of flour to make a roux.
From there you add in some broth, cream, and a few sprigs of thyme, and let the whole thing simmer together. I like to puree my soup to make it extra smooth, but my husband prefers some chunks of mushroom in every spoonful, so I always make some of each. Either way, it’s a seriously comforting meal that tastes like it’s been bubbling on the stove for hours, and a crusty baguette is the perfect accompaniment.
What Actually Makes This Soup Taste So Good
The one tip that many people would not think of but should when trying to recreate this recipe at home is taking care of letting the mushrooms cook properly. Instead of just sautéing for 3 minutes, mushrooms should be browned for about 8-10 minutes or more with occasional stirring until the mushrooms have reduced to get a thick, rich, almost meaty flavor. If you rush this process, you will have a bland soup.
The rest of this recipe is quite simple and is made up of other ingredients like onions and garlic, a bit of flour, and some broth and thyme, which are left to simmer. All in all, the recipe is not difficult but requires one to take their time with browning the mushrooms for a good ten minutes to get a decent taste.
Make It Yours
Honestly, I can’t recall ever making this soup the same way twice. Sometimes, I puree it all until it’s completely smooth because I want the soup to be just right. Other times, I leave some mushrooms whole because I like to have something with a little bite to it. Both ways are perfectly fine.
The same goes for the mushrooms in general. I tend to use cremini mushrooms most of the time since they’re both widely available and utterly delicious, but feel free to use whichever variety you’d like. If you come across some wild mushrooms or want to try shiitake, go ahead and do so. Trust me, the soup will turn out great either way. However, if there’s someone who’s allergic to dairy at your place, you may want to swap the cream for coconut cream. Though the resulting soup will be less rich, it’ll still be quite tasty and will complement the mushrooms’ flavor.
Good for Busy Nights Too
This is one of those soups I find myself doubling on purpose, just so there’s always a container of leftovers waiting in the fridge. It keeps well refrigerated for a few days and freezes just as nicely, so on the nights I have zero energy to cook, there’s usually something ready to go. If you’re building out a little rotation of make-ahead soups like this, my Sun-Drenched Tomato Basil Soup is another one that holds up just as well for the same reason.
What You’ll Need
Generally speaking, this soup uses ingredients that are either easy to find or already in your pantry. The key ingredient is obviously mushrooms, with cremini being the variety I prefer to use. Shiitake mushrooms are also perfectly acceptable and, in fact, add a certain depth of flavor that the others lack. Meanwhile, butter and olive oil are needed to sautée the mushrooms without burning them, and onion and garlic are used to season the soup. A few tablespoons of flour are also thrown in to, you guessed it, thicken the soup. No need to use any kind of soup base or canned soup mix since it’ll thicken on its own. Otherwise, it’s simply broth (chicken or vegetable, whatever you prefer) and heavy cream to make it truly stand out. Fresh thyme adds a certain je ne sais quoi and some parsley at the end will make the soup look all the more appetizing, especially if you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to cook anything good for dinner.
Reheating & Freezing
The soup can be reheated easily. It needs to be warmed on the stove top over medium low heat. Constant stirring, in order to avoid splitting the cream. It might be necessary to add some broth or milk if the soup has been refrigerated too long and has thickened. Microwaving is not recommended, but if there is no other option it should be done on a low setting and stirred frequently.
The soup can be kept in the refrigerator for about three to four days. It actually tastes better after being kept in the fridge for a day.
The soup freezes well which is why I recommend making it twice and freezing the second batch. It should be cooled to room temperature before being placed in the freezer. A ziplock bag or a freezer safe container should be used and remember to leave some space at the top because the soup will expand while freezing. The soup can be kept in the freezer for up to three months.
It is important to note that cream soup tends to separate when thawed. It is nothing to worry about and can be fixed by simply stirring the soup while it re-heats on the stove top. If you plan on freezing your soup ahead of time you can omit the cream and then stir it in after reheating. It will hold its flavor better this way and taste just as good as when it was first made.
