Cream of mushroom soup

Master mushroom cream soup making with this recipe. the cream soups in french cuisine are similar to veloute soup but use a light bechamel sauce as a base. Learning the fundamental technique of making cream soups will allow to experience with many other vegetables and make dozens of other cream soups.
Cream of mushroom soup
Ingredients/Shopping List (makes 3-4 servings)
Ingredients | Amount (Prep) (Notes) |
|
1 pound/500g (finely chopped) |
|
4 Tablespoons/50g (plus more for Béchamel base) |
|
3 medium shallots (peeled/finely chopped) |
|
1 teaspoon (to taste) |
|
½ teaspoon (to taste) |
Ingredients for Béchamel Base | Amount (Prep) (Notes) |
|
3 Tablespoons/40g |
|
3 Tablespoons/40g |
|
3 ⅓ Cups/800ml (full fat milk) |
|
2 small leaves |
|
½ of onion (peeled) |
|
5 cloves (not be to confused with garlic cloves) |
|
1 teaspoon |
|
½ teaspoon |
|
A pinch (freshly grated) |
Ingredients for Finishing Soup | Amount (Prep) (Notes) |
|
1 Cup/200ml (or Crème Fraîche) |
|
2 ounces/50 ml (plus more for Béchamel base) |
Ingredients for Serving | Amount (Prep) (Notes) |
|
5-6 croutons per bowl |
|
1 teaspoon per bowl |
|
1 teaspoon per bowl (chopped) |
|
1 teaspoon per bowl (or port wine) |
Page Break
Directions
Abbreviations – C – Cup, TB – Tablespoon, tsp – teaspoon, oz – ounce
Prep Work (Before Starting to Cook)
Hint – Cooking goes much smoother if you measure out and cut ingredients before starting to cook.
- Mushroom – trim off hard base of stalk and finely chop.
- Shallot – peel and finely chop.
- Onion – cut peeled onion in half and stick cloves (4) into onion.
- Parsley – finely chop.
Making Cream of Mushroom Soup (French)
See Prep Work (Before Starting to Cook) above for how to prepare ingredients.
Sauteing Mushrooms for Soup
- Into a large, high-sided saucepan over Medium heat, add butter (4 TB).
- When butter melts, add finely chopped shallots (3 medium). Gently cook (sweat) shallots for 2-3 minutes while stirring.
- Cook shallots without developing any color/no browning.
- When shallots sweat, add chopped mushrooms (1 lb) and stir to combine. Heat mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.
- When moisture starts to release from mushrooms, season with sea salt (1 tsp) and fresh black pepper (½ tsp). Mix to combine.
- Continue cooking over Medium-Low heat and stirring until mushrooms release most of their moisture (about 10 minutes).
- Turn off heat when mushrooms just begin to dry and set aside.
Making Béchamel Sauce
Part 1 – Making Roux (Soup Base)
- Add butter (3 TB) to a small saucepan over Medium-Low heat.
- When butter melts, add all-purpose flour (3 TB) and mix to combine.
- Cook butter-flour mixture (roux) for two minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Turn off heat and set saucepan aside to cool.
Part 2 – Making Flavored Milk for Béchamel
- In another saucepan, add whole milk (3 ⅓ C), bay leaves (2 small), ½ onion with cloves, sea salt, fresh black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg (a pinch).
- Place saucepan over Medium-High heat and bring to a gentle boil/simmer while stirring.
- Flavored milk is ready when “onion starts dancing” or bobbing around.
- Remove flavored milk from heat and let it rest/infuse for 5 minutes.
- Remove onion, cloves and bay leaves after infusing.
Part 3 – Combing Roux & Flavored Milk for Béchamel
- Add roux into flavored milk and whisk to combine.
- Place saucepan over Medium heat and, while whisking constantly, bring Béchamel to a simmer.
- The sauce should start to thicken slightly when ready.
Adding Béchamel Sauce to Cooked Mushrooms
- Place a fine mesh strainer over pot of cooked mushrooms and slowly pour in Béchamel. Use a rubber spatula to help clean any sauce stuck to saucepan.
- Mix to combine. For additional “smoothness” to soup:
- Use a sticker blender to further break down mushrooms and help extract more flavor.
- Another round of straining and pressing mushrooms through wire mesh sieve adds more flavor and smoothness.
Finishing Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Add whole milk (3 oz) and whipping cream (1 C) to mushrooms and mix well to combine.
- Gently heat to a simmer over Medium heat.
- Taste test for seasoning and adjust (if needed).
Serving Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Serve each bowl of soup with a few croutons, a small nob of butter and chopped parsley (1 tsp).
- A drizzle of dry sherry or port wine can further enhance flavor of soup.
Recipe written by Greg Hanlon
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