Let's Chat Mushrooms, Shall We?

Okay, confession time: I used to think making mushroom soup from scratch was like, advanced wizardry or something. My mum always made it from a tin (no shame there) but one rainy Tuesday I thought, what if I just tried making it myself? Turns out, it’s honestly not much harder than finding matching socks in my house (which, by the way, is very hard). Now, this soup's a regular in my kitchen, especially when I want to feel fancy but can't be bothered with, you know, actual effort. Plus, there was this one time I dropped the whole salt cellar into it — but let’s just pretend that never happened. Anyway, here’s how I do it now…

Why This Recipe Has My Family Coming Back (For Thirds)

I usually whip this up when it’s drizzly outside or when I’ve accidentally bought two extra boxes of mushrooms on sale (true story, last week). My family goes slightly wild for this stuff because it’s so creamy and no one has to chew through mystery mushroom bits. And honestly, sometimes I make it just for the leftovers (it’s one of those soups that actually tastes better the next day, but don’t quote me). Oh, and this is the only soup that convinced my brother mushrooms aren’t actually swamp creatures.

Gather Your Goodies: What You’ll Need

600g fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped (doesn’t have to be perfect — I use button or cremini, but sometimes portobellos if they’re sulking at the back of the fridge)
1 big onion (yellow or white, or honestly just use shallots if you like the word)
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced (I go heavy on garlic, but to each their own)
3 tablespoon butter (Or olive oil if you forgot to buy butter, which I have, many times)
1–2 tablespoon flour — so it thickens up nice, but I’d skip for gluten-free
750ml veg or chicken stock (sometimes I just sling in a bouillon cube and hope for the best)
200ml single cream or half-and-half (my gran swears by Brand X cream, but, really, supermarket own brand does the trick)
Salt & black pepper — taste as you go, or you might recreate my salt-disaster
Optional: handful of fresh parsley, thyme, or a drizzle of truffle oil if you’re feeling flash (slight flex)

How I Actually Do It (With a Bit of Chaos)

First: Melt the butter over medium heat in a big-ish pot. If you’re using oil, don’t panic if it spits a bit (happens every time for me).
Add your chopped onion. Let it soften for 5 or 6 minutes. Minimal browning is best, but if it catches a little, eh, adds character.
Toss in garlic. Once it smells good, sling in your mushrooms and season with a pinch of salt. Stir so the butter coats everything. Now, the mushrooms’ll look like too much, but trust me, they shrink — magic!
Let mushrooms cook down till they’re soft and have released some water — about 10-ish minutes. This is when I often sneak a taste (burning my tongue, classic move).
Sprinkle in flour. Stir like mad so you don’t get lumps. Don’t stress if it looks a bit thick or odd now — promise, it sorts itself.
Gradually pour in your stock, stirring all the while. Turn up the heat so it just simmers, then let it bubble gently for 10–15 minutes. Go make a cuppa, you’ve earned it.
This is where I usually blend it. Sometimes I’m too lazy to wash out the blender so I just mash it a bit with a potato masher, or an immersion blender does wonders (but see the Equipment bit if you haven’t got one).
Take the pot off the heat and swirl in your cream (don’t boil it with the cream in, unless you enjoy curdled soup — not nice). Taste it now. Add pepper, more salt, whatever you fancy. Sometimes a squeeze of lemon if I’m feeling wild.
Sprinkle over chopped parsley or a little thyme, or nothing at all if you’re done with faffing by this stage.

Things I Figured Out the Hard Way (Notes)

If you skip the flour, it’ll be a thinner soup — not worse, just different; sometimes I do this if I want to dip bread and not get full too quick.
Try not to blast the mushrooms on super high — they go rubbery, which isn’t what you want.
I sometimes add a splash of white wine if there’s some open. The soup is fine without, but if I’ve got it, it adds a sort of oomph.

Variations I've Actually Tried (And a Fail)

Sneaking in a potato or two helps make things ultra-thick (borderline stew, but pretty lush!)
Vegan it up by using coconut cream and dairy-free butter — actually, it works shockingly well. Just gets a bit more earthy.
Once, I tried blue cheese melted in — sounded good, but honestly, too weird for me. Maybe you’ll like it?

What Kit You’ll Need (And a Trick if Not)

An immersion blender is my go-to — less washing up and you can blend straight in the pot. If you haven’t got one, just let the soup cool a bit and carefully pour into a normal blender (hold the lid on tight though! Hot soup does wild things). Or, like I said, just mash the heck out of it with a potato masher. Rustic is in, right?

Sneaky Storage Stuff You Should Know

This keeps in the fridge in a tub for about 3 days, though honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day because everyone’s spooning leftovers straight out of the jug. Oh, and it freezes just fine too, but the cream might go a wee bit funny when you reheat — a quick whisk sorts it.

If You’re Wondering How I Serve It...

I love it with a hunk of crusty bread (especially proper sourdough — here's a nice recipe if you’re up for baking), or sometimes garlic croutons. My cousin dips cheese toasties in it, which is... decadent.

The Bits I Wish Someone Had Told Me (Pro-ish Tips)

I once tried skipping the frying stage to save time — went straight to boiling; it was... not great. Sautéing the mushrooms really does matter for flavour.
Salt at the end. Not kidding — I’ve ruined it (twice!) by being heavy-handed early on, then it reduces and you’re left with soup that could pickle an egg.
Don’t blend while it’s boiling hot. Sounds obvious, but honestly, I’m surprised I still have eyebrows.

Real Questions Real People Have Actually Asked Me (FAQ)

Can I use dried mushrooms?
Yep, definitely, just soak them first and maybe use less salt — dried ones are a bit punchier. The flavour’s deeper too, so it’s nice for winter.

Is it freezer friendly?
It mostly is, but sometimes the cream splits like I said before. Give it a stir or a whizz after thawing. Goes great in a thermos (for actual walks outside, wild concept for me).

How can I make it dairy-free?
You can, and I have! Oat milk or coconut cream works well; just don’t expect it to taste exactly the same. Still lush though.

What if I hate mushrooms? (Gasp!)
Well... this is awkward. You can swap out with cauliflower or roasted squash and follow the same steps. It’s not really mushroom soup anymore, but it’s your kitchen, mate!

Can I make this in a slow cooker?
I’ve tried. Actually, it turns out sort of watery unless you zap it with the blender at the end — but hey, the house smells amazing all afternoon.

If you’re looking for more mushroom inspiration, BBC Good Food has a decent list. Or if you want to get really cheffy, there’s a guide to cleaning mushrooms here; honestly, I usually just give mine a wipe and carry on. That’s probably a Yorkshire thing.

Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe