Creamy Mushroom Thyme Soup (Print version)

Velvety mushroom soup enriched with thyme and cream for a warming, flavorful dish.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
05 - 1 stalk celery, diced

→ Herbs & Spices

06 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
07 - 1 bay leaf
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste

→ Liquids

10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
12 - 2 tablespoons dry white wine (optional)

→ Fats

13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Garnish (optional)

15 - Extra fresh thyme
16 - Drizzle of cream
17 - Crusty bread, for serving

# How to make it:

01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until melted and shimmering.
02 - Add chopped onions, diced carrot, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Incorporate sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until they release their moisture and start to brown.
05 - Pour in white wine, if using, and simmer for 2 minutes until mostly evaporated.
06 - Add thyme leaves, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine.
07 - Pour in vegetable broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 15 minutes to develop flavor.
08 - Remove the bay leaf. Blend soup using an immersion blender until smooth, or blend in batches in a countertop blender and return to the pot.
09 - Stir in heavy cream and warm the soup gently until heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
10 - Ladle hot soup into bowls. Garnish with extra thyme and a drizzle of cream if desired. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you simmered it all day but takes less than an hour from start to finish.
  • The mushrooms get deeply browned and sweet, nothing like the bland soups you remember from cafeterias.
  • You can make it dairy free without losing any of the creamy comfort.
02 -
  • Don't rush the mushrooms, if you stir them too much they'll steam and turn gray instead of browning and getting sweet.
  • Always remove the bay leaf before blending, I once forgot and had to fish out chewy bits from everyone's bowl.
  • If the soup is too thick after blending, thin it with a little extra broth or even water until it coats the back of a spoon but still pours easily.
03 -
  • Use a mix of mushroom varieties like shiitake, oyster, or porcini for a more complex flavor, just make sure they're all sliced to the same thickness.
  • A few drops of truffle oil stirred in right before serving makes this taste like something from a restaurant, but go easy because it's strong.
  • If you want a chunkier texture, blend only half the soup and stir it back into the unblended portion for contrast.

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