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This Homemade Vegetarian Mushroom Soup is absolutely divine. Just filled with earthy meaty mushroom goodness all accented by some herb-y thyme. And, topped off with just the right amount of creamy milk.
This isn’t ordinary run-of-the-mill cream of mushroom soup, no, this one is a keeper. This one is one that I’ll make again and again. It’s good. Really good and nice and healthy!
Serve a bowl of this soup with a Toaster Oven Grilled Cheese Sandwich for a great flavor combination! Or serve with this delicious garlic bread that’s made in the bread machine.
We appreciate your support
Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Is mushroom soup good for sore throat?
I’ve had a lot of people asking this lately. Is mushroom soup good for sore throat? It’s an interesting question to me because it’s one that I wouldn’t think of on my own. But once asked, why, yes, it should help you feel better.
I mean, soup is great when you aren’t feeling well. And all that fluid will help you stay hydrated. Mushrooms are great for boosting immunity.
Any warm soup is good to soothe the throat, and this one’s substantial enough to be a complete meal. If you’re concerned about the dairy in the soup, simply use a non-dairy soup, or you can leave it out.
If you’re looking for more soothing home remedies, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Sore Throat Tea and Honey Lemon Cold & Flu Remedy.
Recipe Notes
I love the addition of the dried mushrooms to this Homemade Vegetarian Soup! They give a really nice meaty texture and flavor. Serve this soup with some Gruyere Herb Biscuits for an amazing meal!
If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, any dried wild mushrooms will be great. I’ve even seen mixed dried mushrooms that would be lovely in this.
Look for dried mushrooms in the produce section of your grocery store. Usually near the mushrooms or the dried fruit.
If you’re looking for a more traditional Cream of Mushroom Soup, check out my recipe. It’s a great homemade condensed version that’s way better than Campbell’s or Knorr. Back away from the can!
Do I have to soak the dried mushrooms first?
No, you don’t have to soak the dried mushrooms for this recipe. You’ll finely chop them so they are more like a powder when you add them. Then, they get cooked into the soup and absorb any moisture they need in the cooking.
Lots of Mushrooms
Clean and chop the fresh mushrooms before measuring them. That means there’s lots of mushrooms in this soup!
Chop them in the food processor, but quarter or slice them first otherwise they’ll just bounce around when you turn the machine on.
You could chop the mushrooms with a knife, but I find it makes less of a mess if I chop them in the food processor.
soy sauce
The addition of soy sauce is my little trick that I use for lots of soups, stews, and sauces. It gives a rich flavor that I just haven’t found in other ingredients.
Yes, you can use Bragg liquid aminos instead if you prefer.
Amount of salt
The amount of salt you want to add will vary depending on the salt level in the broth you use.
I love to use homemade broth, and my homemade stuff doesn’t have any salt, but it is full of flavor.
Always start slow with the salt, as you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.
Taste first, then, I’d start with ¼ teaspoon and work my way up in ¼ teaspoon increments.
Use your favorite broth
And, speaking of broth, feel free to use your favorite.
Like I said, I have some homemade veggie broth in the freezer, so it’s easy to use that.
If you prefer canned veggie broth or chicken broth, and have some in your cupboard, it’s all good, use that.
Shake, shake it up
I like to shake the flour with the water in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. That way the flour is well mixed in.
Milk of choice
Also, use the milk of your choice: half and half will make a thicker richer soup that’s higher in calories; skim milk will make a thinner soup that’s lower in calories.
I like the compromise of whole milk in this soup.
You could even use a non-dairy milk like canned coconut milk (that would give a great thick soup) or almond milk. Coconut milk may change the flavor profile a bit, so you may head towards a neutral flavor like soy milk or rice milk.
To blend or not to blend
The husband said he loved the flavor of this soup, but wished it was a little more smooth. (He has a texture issue with mushrooms.)
So, next time I make it I’ll blend the whole thing after it’s all cooked.
I actually had wanted to do that for the pictures, but alas, I was hungry, and, I ate all of it before I could blend it!
Next time. Next time!
Other mushroom recipes you’ll LOVE
I’m a huge fan of mushrooms! If you are too, you’ll want to check out my recipes for Copycat Souplantation Vegetarian Cream of Mushroom Soup, Spinach Mushroom Crescents, and Mushroom Ragout Over Creamy Polenta.
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Recipe
Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely chopped fresh cremini or button mushrooms
- 1/3 cup dried Shitake Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided use
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon flour dissolved in 1 tablespoon cool water
- 1 cup milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Sliced sautéed mushrooms and fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Roughly chop the fresh mushrooms, then pulse them in batches in a food processor to finely chop them before measuring. Remove all fresh mushrooms from the food processor, and place in a medium bowl or a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, and set aside.2 cups finely chopped fresh cremini or button mushrooms
- Pulse dried mushrooms into a fine chop, in the food processor. Set aside.1/3 cup dried Shitake Mushrooms
- In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until onion is soft and starting to brown, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If onion starts cooking too quickly, add a little water to the pan to slow the cooking.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small yellow onion
- Add in chopped fresh mushrooms, thyme, and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Add broth, bay leaf, and finely chopped dried mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.2 cups vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf
- Add diluted flour and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the soup, and stir until the mixture thickens. Add milk, and heat through, about 5-10 more minutes on low heat. Remove bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with mushroom slices and fresh thyme as desired.1 tablespoon flour dissolved in 1 tablespoon cool water, 1 cup milk, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, Sliced sautéed mushrooms and fresh thyme
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Debi
Debbie, I honestly have no idea how many 8 ounce boxes it would take to make 2 cups of finely chopped mushrooms. I am sorry about that. Sometimes I buy mushrooms in bulk or in those huge containers, so I would not have checked that at the time. This recipe is on my menu to remake soon. I’ll check that and update the recipe with the info as soon as I can. I know that doesn’t help you now, but I’ll try as soon as I can.
Linda
Wow, absolutely delicious….will make it again
Sally Burke
A fabulous mushroom soup recipe, definitely a keeper in our household. I had more mushrooms than needed so fried them off in some butter and EOO, to add to the soup when served. Thank you for sharing.
Pauline
Love it will definitely make it again
Rachel
My go to mushroom soup recipe- I don’t have a food processor so chop as small as I can and afterwards blitz half the soup in the blender. Amazing flavor for such simple ingredients! A box of 8oz mushrooms works perfect for 1 recipe.
Deonna
Amazing added truffle Siracha and used coconut oil instead of olive
Maria
I only had 2 field mushrooms and a small container of mixed dried mushrooms so i had to make do. I made the rest of the recipe as written and it was amazing. It’s definitely going int rotation as it’s just been an amazing lunch and would be great as an evening meal.
Lamiaa
Very delicious, I love it so much.