A quick, silky cream of mushroom soup made with chestnut mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Seven ingredients, ready in 40 minutes, and easily made vegan with plant-based cream and vegan blue cheese.
Easy Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
This cream of mushroom soup recipe is everything a bowl of soup should be on a cold day: silky, savoury and deeply mushroomy, with garlic and thyme in every spoonful. It takes seven everyday ingredients and about 40 minutes, uses just a splash of cream, and is easily made vegan with plant-based cream and a crumble of vegan blue cheese.
Super versatile, this soup is easy enough for a weekly staple, yet smart enough to serve as a starter when you’re entertaining.
I have grown increasingly frustrated by the poor choice of mushrooms in my local supermarket. So for this soup I keep things simple and reliable: chestnut mushrooms. They have a firmer texture and a nuttier, deeper flavour than white mushrooms, and they give the soup a lovely warm colour.
If you can get hold of them, a mix of wild mushrooms – think girolles, oyster, shiitake or a few porcini – makes this soup even more special. I find that greengrocers, farmers’ markets and Asian supermarkets are often far better stocked than the big chains. And if you fancy foraging your own, please follow the Woodland Trust’s responsible foraging guidelines and never eat a wild mushroom unless you are 100% sure of its identity.
Browse all my mushroom recipes and soup recipes.
Why you’ll love this mushroom soup
- Simple and quick – one pan, seven ingredients and around 40 minutes from chopping board to bowl.
- Rich but not heavy – just 60ml of cream for the whole pot; the mushrooms do the heavy lifting.
- Easily vegan – swap in oat or soya cream and a vegan blue cheese and nobody will know the difference.
- Good for you – each bowl contains roughly 125g of mushrooms, around one and half adult portions (80g each) towards your 5 A Day.
- Freezer-friendly – make a double batch for easy lunches.
For more simple ways to fill your plate with veg, the British Dietetic Association has a helpful guide to getting your five-a-day.
More mushroom recipes
- Mushrooms on toast
- Baked eggs with mushrooms (oeufs en cocotte)
- Vegan Pâté
- Mushroom & Tofu Gochujang Curry
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Watch how to make cream of mushroom soup
Ingredients you’ll need
- Mushrooms – I use chestnut mushrooms, but a mix of wild mushrooms works beautifully. No need to peel; just wipe off any soil and roughly chop. New to cooking them? My guide on how to cook mushrooms covers the basics.
- Onion – one medium onion, finely sliced, gives a sweet base.
- Garlic and thyme – grated garlic and fresh thyme sprigs are classic partners for mushrooms.
- Vegetable stock – use a good-quality stock. If you need the soup to be gluten-free, check the label; Coeliac UK keeps a list of gluten-free stocks and gravies.
- Cream of choice – single or double cream, or oat, soya or another plant-based cream for a vegan version.
- Blue cheese (optional) – a little crumbled on top just before serving adds a tangy, salty finish.
How to make cream of mushroom soup
- Soften the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat and fry the onion for about 6 minutes, until soft.
- Cook the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mushrooms have released their water and it has evaporated. Don’t rush this step – it is where all the flavour comes from.
- Simmer. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend. Remove the thyme stalks, then blend until smooth with a stick blender or in a jug blender.
- Finish. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
How to make vegan cream of mushroom soup
This mushroom soup is already almost plant-based – it is cooked in olive oil rather than butter. To make vegan cream of mushroom soup:
- Use a plant-based cream such as oat or soya cream.
- Check your stock cube or bouillon is vegan (most vegetable stocks are, but some contain milk derivatives).
- Top with a crumbled vegan blue cheese, or simply a few thyme leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil.
What to serve with mushroom soup
- Bread – a thick slice of crusty bread or one of my homemade bread recipes for dunking.
- Blue cheese – crumble it over the hot soup so it softens slightly. If you love that combination, try my mushroom, leek and Stilton soup next.
- Croutons or toasted seeds for crunch.
- A drizzle of truffle oil or chilli oil for a special-occasion starter.
- For a more substantial meal, follow it with my butternut, mushroom and blue cheese pie.
Using it instead of tinned cream of mushroom soup
Homemade cream of mushroom soup makes a brilliant replacement for the tinned, condensed kind in bakes and sauces. Simmer it uncovered for 10–15 minutes to reduce it by about a third, then use it as a creamy base for pasta bakes, pies or a quick mushroom stroganoff. It also works especially well layered into a vegetable lasagne.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool the soup quickly (within 1–2 hours), cover and refrigerate. Eat within 48 hours, in line with the government’s food safety guidance.
- Freezer: for the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the cream. Freeze in individual portions, labelled and dated, for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: defrost in the fridge, then reheat gently in a pan until steaming hot throughout, stirring in the cream at the end. Reheat only once.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Blend in a small boiled potato, a handful of soaked cashews or a couple of tablespoons of cannellini beans for creaminess without cream. Or simply leave it out – the blended mushrooms are naturally velvety.
Chestnut mushrooms are my go-to for flavour and availability. A mix of wild mushrooms adds extra depth, and a few dried porcini (soaked, with the soaking liquid added to the stock) give a big boost of savoury flavour.
This recipe contains no flour, so it is gluten-free as long as your vegetable stock is gluten-free. Always check the label.
Yes, for up to 3 months. It freezes best before the cream goes in, as cream can separate slightly when frozen and reheated.
I hope you enjoy this cream of mushroom soup recipe as much as I do. If you do make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100 g onion about 1 medium, finely sliced
- 500 g chestnut mushrooms or a mix of wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 60 ml cream of choice single, double, oat or soya
- Salt and black pepper to taste
TO SERVE: (optional)
- Blue cheese or vegan blue cheese crumbled
- A few thyme leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry for about 6 minutes, until soft.2 tbsp olive oil, 100 g onion
- Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mushrooms have released their water and are cooked.500 g chestnut mushrooms, 3 garlic cloves, 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.500 ml vegetable stock
- Remove the thyme stalks. Blend the soup until smooth with a stick blender or jug blender.
- Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.60 ml cream of choice, Salt and black pepper
- Ladle into bowls and, if using, crumble a little blue cheese over the top before serving.Blue cheese or vegan blue cheese, A few thyme leaves
Notes
- Vegan: use plant-based cream, a vegan stock and vegan blue cheese.
- Gluten-free: check that your stock is gluten-free.
- Freezing: freeze before adding the cream for up to 3 months.
- Storage: keep covered in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.
Nutritional Information
Find this recipe online:
https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/cream-of-mushroom-soup/
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Other things you might like
- Pan-fried Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms
- Mushroom Tarts
- Mushroom Polenta Tart
- Mushroom & Potato Gratin
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