This wild mushroom soup tastes decadently creamy, with a decided savory note. Fresh herbs give the soup a punch of brightness, balancing the savory, earthy notes of mushrooms. The recipe is easy to make, coming together in about twenty minutes. If you can't find wild mushrooms, the soup is equally delicious made with button, cremini, and other domestic varieties purchased from the grocery store.

Jump to Recipe | What's in it? | Tips | Variations

Wild mushroom soup garnished with chive blossoms, thyme and oyster mushrooms.

What's in it?

This recipe yields a decadently creamy soup with a deep, rich flavor owing to the inclusion of aromatic vegetables, wild mushrooms, herbs, bone broth, and cream.

Which mushrooms should you use?

Wild mushrooms are found mainly in the spring and fall, after the rains, and which varieties are available in your area largely depend on your region and climate.

If you forage for your own, make sure you are familiar with edible varieties (and their look likes) that grow in your area. If you're new to mushrooming, plan to go with a local mycology group or a knowledgeable guide.

Chanterelle mushrooms are available in the fall, and they have a citrusy aroma and smell vaguely of apricots.

Bolete mushrooms, also known as porcini and cep mushrooms, are delicious in this soup, too. They have a classic mushroom shape and a faun-colored cap.

Lobster mushrooms work well too, but you'll need to add more broth and extend the cooking time because they tend toward toughness.

Hen of the woods grow in frilly, spanning clumps. They're delicious mushrooms, but also medicinal too.

Oyster mushrooms taste faintly of the sea, and their season spans from mid- to late Spring.

Shiitake, cremini, button, and other domestic mushrooms also work in this recipe if you can't find wild mushrooms.

Tips

You'll follow four basic steps when you make this recipe. It begins by sautéeing onions and celery in a mixture of olive oil and butter, and then you'll add the mushrooms and thyme. From there, you'll simmer it all together in chicken broth before adding cream and blending the soup to a fine and uniform consistency. With that in mind, there are a few tips to ensure the recipe comes out right.

Use a variety of mushrooms for the best flavor. Each variety of mushrooms brings a unique flavor to the soup. Using a variety means that your soup will have a deeper and more complex flavor than if you used a single type of mushroom.
Large, tough mushrooms need more time to cook, and they may need more liquid, too, to make up for the increase in cook time. Lobster and similar mushrooms will take longer to soften than chanterelles and other delicate varieties.
Add the cream at the very end. If you add it too soon, the cream will taste overcooked instead of fresh, and it may separate.
If you plan to freeze it, skip the cream altogether and purée the mushroom soup in its absence. Then, when reheating add the cream at the very end.
If you don't have an immersion blender, you can purée the soup in an upright blender. Work in batches, and fill the blender only one-third full with each batch.
If you're not serving the soup right away, plan to store it in the fridge for up to three days and in the freezer for up to six months.

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5 from 2 votes

Wild Mushroom Soup Recipe

Mushrooms have a deep savory flavor that blends beautifully with thyme and cream, and it's based on the Wild Mushroom Soup recipe in my first cookbook - The Nourished Kitchen (Ten Speed Press 2014). If you can't find wild mushrooms, you can use domestic mushrooms. The trick is to use a variety of them which gives the soup the best flavor.

Servings: servings

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot (coarsely chopped)
3 ribs celery (coarsely chopped)
½ cup white wine
1 ½ pounds wild mushrooms (coarsely chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons finely ground real salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups bone broth
1 cup heavy cream

Equipment

Instructions

Warm a Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat, and then add the butter and olive oil. Cook them both together until the butter melts and begins to froth.
Toss in the shallot and celery, sautéeing them in the hot fat until they soften and become fragrant - about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan by stirring in the white wine, and then stir in the mushrooms. Sprinkle them with thyme, salt, and pepper. Stirring occasionally, let the mushrooms cook with the shallot and onions until they soften and release their liquid, about 3 minutes further.
Pour in the broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the pot reaches a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mushrooms are completely soft and cooked through - about 15 minutes further.
Turn off the heat, and stir in the cream. Then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls and serve right away, or transfer it to the fridge to keep up to 3 days.

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Variations

Skip the wine, and add additional broth as well as a squeeze of lemon juice.

Add sherry instead of white wine. Dry sherry is a natural companion for mushrooms, and you can use it in this recipe if you prefer it to dry white wine.

Swap the chicken bone broth for a medicinal mushroom broth to deepen the soup's flavor.

Tarragon, chervil, and parsley also work well in this recipe, but add them at the end of cooking, with the cream.

If you can't find wild mushrooms, substitute a mix of cultivated mushrooms such as shiitake, cremini, or white buttons.

If you're dairy-free, skip the heavy cream. Instead, soak a half-cup of cashews in warm water overnight, and then drain the cashews and blend them into the soup for a creamy texture.