Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup + Umami Powder Giveaway
I have been thinking about making a recipe like this easy creamy mushroom soup for a long time. Like eggplant, mushrooms are also an obsession of mine- I can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – I really could never get tired of them. The umami smell that emanates from wild mushrooms searing in a really hot cast iron pan, browning, and then releasing their juices…. oh my goshhh, there is nothing like it! I have made several variations of mushroom soups in the past, but this one definitely takes the cake. Be sure to read to the end of this post to find out how to enter the giveaway for my favorite product – umami powder!
I came across the original recipe for this mushroom soup in one of my favorite cookbooks – The Food Lab. I made a few alterations to it, but the base remains the same. It is so simple, so satisfying, so filling, and best yet – SO HEALTHY!
Look how perfect the soup came out – I served it like this with a drizzle of olive oil, and topped with some freshly seared wild mushrooms at a dinner party, and people went crazy for it. This really is one of my favorite soups – the thickness of it, and then the bite of the mushrooms on top make it so easy to eat as a one pot dinner – no matter what time of year!
Lately, I haven’t had as much time to prepare longer dishes, so the fact that this only took about 45 minutes was a huge bonus. As for not having as much time – this is what has been going on in my life. My sister in law is pregnant! I’m counting down the days till my nephew is born, and my wallet is draining from all the cute little high top sneakers and outfits I’m purchasing for him :). My best friend also had her baby about 6 months ago, and I have just been trying to spend as much time with family and friends as I possibly can! I know some of you can relate :). Sometimes it’s so hard to balance our hobbies with personal life! If y’all have any tips, I am all ears :)!
Note: I find that using a variety of mushrooms is essential to this recipe. I especially love the flavor that the porcini give it. If you have a hard time finding frozen or fresh porcini at your local store, I buy mine online from here. I recommend using either fresh or frozen, NOT DEHYDRATED. I don’t think the texture of the mushroom once you re-hydrate is what you want. I do sometimes re-hydrate mushrooms though, and use a little bit of the broth that you hydrate them in, to pour into the soup (about 1/2 cup substituted instead of stock.)
Also, I used my favorite product ever to make this recipe – UMAMI POWDER!! If you want to enter a giveaway for a free bag of umami powder, simply comment below and tell me what it is you do to find ways to balance your life and your hobbies! GIVEAWAY ENDS 4/25/17!
Recipe slightly adapted from The Food Lab.
- 2 pounds mushrooms, sliced about ¼ inch thick (shiitake, button, porcini, or any variety of mushrooms desired)
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 large leek - white and pale green parts only, split in half and cut into ¼ inch thick pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock (or veg. stock if you are vegetarian)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp. truffle salt
- olive oil, to drizzle
- white truffle oil, to drizzle
- 1 tsp. umami powder (optional) - I sell it in my online store
- Once you finish chopping the mushrooms, set aside 1 cup. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add in the remainder of the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. You want them to brown. Add in the leeks, onion, and half of the thyme, and continue to cook until the vegetables begin to soften - about 7 minutes.
- Add the flour into the pot and stir until all the flour is absorbed, about 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the milk while you continue to stir. Then add in the stock (here you have the option to substitute ½ cup of mushroom broth for any of the stock). Add in the bay leaves, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Once the soup has reduced a little bit, remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Working in batches, transfer the mixture into a blender (I use a vitamix). Blend starting on low, gradually moving to high, until a puree forms (about 1 minute). Pass through a fine mesh strainer, and into a large bowl (large enough to hold all of the soup). Once you blend all the soup, place it back into the soup pot and keep warm. Season with the tsp. of truffle salt, and salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small cast iron skillet, turn heat to high. Melt the last tbsp. of butter and then add the last cup of mushrooms. Cook until they brown, stirring every couple of minutes. Then, add in the remaining thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve soup - garnish with some of the sauteed mushrooms, a drizzle of olive oil, and a small drizzle of truffle oil (to taste).
I just came across this well. I balanced it by running dieting cooking. And trying not to watch the news lately. Hope you have some unami left