Cremini and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Serves
2-4
Ingredients
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 lb baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 5 teaspoons mushroom broth concentrate
- 10 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied with twine
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/2- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon salted European butter
- Creme fraiche for finishing
Steps
1
In a large pot add olive oil and heat on medium high. Add in onions and saute until soft and lightly browned. Add in garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
2
Add in the mushrooms (reserving a small amount of the shiitakes for garnish) continue cooking until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Season with salt and add in the thyme bundle. Stir together and then deglaze with wine, scraping the fond from the pot.
3
Add in the stock concentrate and 4 cups of water (or 4 cups of mushroom stock). Bring to a boil and then reduce to low. Place lid on the pot and cook for 30 mins.
4
Allow the mixture to cool and remove the thyme bundle. Add to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pot and reheat if needed prior to serving.
5
For the garnish, add the butter to a pan and heat on medium until melted. Add in the reserved shiitake mushrooms and brown. Ladle soup in bowls with desired portion and top with creme fraiche and a few of the mushrooms per bowl.
Soup season’s easiest choice.
When I made this recipe for the first time I only had about 1 tablespoon of butter left. I thought about it, and decided to use olive oil to saute the onions and garlic. I’m glad I did, because it turned out so good that I kept it that way versus using butter. The result was an accidentally vegan soup base! You could totally skip the garnishes that contain dairy and substitute some fresh parsely and more cracked black pepper. I think either way you can’t go wrong.
I reserved some of the shiitakes to pan fry in the butter that I did have, and I also warmed the creme fraiche so I could drizzle it over the soup portions. That was just to make it look pretty, but just a dollop of creme fraiche will also do the trick and melt right in to the hot soup.
If you are planning a big Thanksgiving dinner, consider using this recipe as a first course. It can be made in advance (and I actually recommend that it be made 1-3 days prior in order to fully develop the flavors), has few ingredients, and goes well with all the other usual suspects on a Thanksgiving menu. On the other hand, this soup is hearty enough to serve as a main dish alongside a grilled cheese or toast points for a comforting fall meal.
A high speed blender transforms this into the most silky, creamy soup that you would never guess is vegan!