Cream of Mushroom Soup
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Ditch the can and make delicious Cream of Mushroom Soup at home in just 15 minutes! This easy recipe is perfect for slurping up with a spoon, or adding to your favorite recipes, like green bean casserole.
For years I’ve been making this homemade cream of mushroom soup to go in my Brussels Sprout Casserole recipe. This casserole is always a hit around the holiday season and what makes it so delicious, is this homemade soup recipe.
It really is the best cream of mushroom soup and it’s easy to make in just 15 minutes! It tastes so much better than the canned stuff and is filled with savory, rich flavors. It’s naturally gluten free because it’s made with cornstarch, instead of flour, to thicken the soup. It’s also naturally vegetarian, so it’s great for everyone to share around the Thanksgiving dinner table, or really any dinner table.
This soup is great as part of a casserole, but I like to whip it up for an easy dinner and serve it with crusty bread for dipping up the creamy soup!
Make the soup ahead of time and reheat it for lunch or use it in your favorite casseroles around the holidays. No matter when or how you serve it, you’re going to love this easy soup recipe!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Mushrooms – you can use whole portobello mushrooms, or baby bella mushrooms for this recipe. The mushrooms are diced, so either will work just fine. While you can use white button mushrooms in this recipe, I prefer portobellos for their depth of flavor.
- Unsalted butter
- Salt + black pepper
- Fresh thyme – you can also use dried thyme, but I recommend fresh whenever possible for the best flavor. You can also add other fresh herbs, like rosemary or parsley, in addition to the thyme, or to replace it.
- Garlic – fresh minced cloves will give you the best flavor in this recipe.
- Ground nutmeg
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable broth – feel free to use chicken broth or beef broth instead, but the recipe will no longer be vegetarian.
- Half and half – for an extra creamy soup, use heavy cream instead.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: melt butter in a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add diced mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.
Step 2: add minced garlic and ground nutmeg to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle cornstarch over the mushrooms.
Step 3: pour vegetable broth into the skillet and stir to combine all of the ingredients. Simmer 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low and add half and half to the skillet. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, then serve the soup. Feel free to garnish the soup with a little fresh cracked black pepper, and fresh chopped parsley or thyme leaves.
Pro tips
- This recipe makes approximately 2 cups, or 16 ounces, of soup. To double the recipe, simply hover over the “servings” in the recipe card below and increase it from 16 ounces, to 32 ounces. The ingredients in the recipe card will automatically update to reflect the increase in the recipe.
- To make the soup thicker and more creamy, replace the half and half with heavy cream.
- To make this soup vegan and dairy-free, you can use canned coconut cream instead of the half and half, and replace the butter with olive oil. While the soup will have a slightly different flavor, it’s still delicious and it’s now dairy free!
- If you prefer the soup without the chunks of mushrooms, use an immersion blender to puree the soup after it’s fully prepared to make a creamy mushroom soup.
Ways to serve it
Just like any other delicious soup, this cream of mushroom soup can simply be poured into a bowl and slurped up with a spoon. It’s delicious topped with croutons, or served with a crispy baguette or garlic bread on the side for dipping!
Just like canned cream of mushroom soup, this soup can also be used to top chicken or pork chops, or make delicious casseroles. Here are a few ideas for how to use this cream of mushroom soup recipe!
- Brussels Sprout Casserole – the original inspiration for this recipe. It’s so delicious and perfect as a side dish for the holidays!
- Green Bean Casserole – combine this soup recipe (all 16 ounces) with 4 cups cooked, cut green beans, or canned green beans, and 2/3 cups crispy fried onions. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Stir the bean mixture, top with another 2/3 cups crispy fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops – season four 1 inch thick pork chops with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops for 3-4 minutes per side. Pour the soup (all 16 ounces) over the pork chops. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Remove from the oven and serve with the BEST mashed potatoes!
- Cream of Mushroom Chicken – pound 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to 1 inch thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 2 minutes per side. Pour the soup (all 16 ounces) over the chicken in the skillet. Bring the soup to a simmer, then cover the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes. Serve with cooked egg noodles, or over mashed potatoes.
How to store and reheat
- To store: place the soup in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- For reheating: the soup can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. On the stove, place it in a small pot over medium heat and stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. In the microwave, place the soup in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat for 2-3 minutes.
- To freeze: pour the soup into a freezer-safe container. A large mason jar would work great, just be sure to leave 1 inch of space for the soup to expand in the freezer. Place the soup in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for 8-12 hours before reheating and eating.
More soup recipes
Try these other simple, comforting soup recipes!
- Potato Soup
- Meatball Soup
- Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Taco Soup
- Creamy Corn Soup
- Thai Coconut Soup with Potstickers
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces portobello mushrooms, (or baby bella mushrooms) diced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup half-and-half, or heavy cream
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the diced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and thyme, cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and nutmeg to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch over the mushrooms and add the vegetable broth to the skillet, simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to medium-low and add the half-and-half to the skillet.
- Simmer for 6-8 minutes, then serve.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 2 cups, or 16 ounces, of soup. To double the recipe, simply hover over the “servings” above and increase it from 16 ounces, to 32 ounces. The ingredients in the recipe card will automatically update to reflect the increase in the recipe.
- To make the soup thicker and more creamy, replace the half and half with heavy cream.
- To make this soup vegan and dairy-free, you can use canned coconut cream instead of the half and half, and replace the butter with olive oil. While the soup will have a slightly different flavor, it’s still delicious and it’s now dairy free!
- If you prefer the soup without the chunks of mushrooms, use an immersion blender to puree the soup after it’s fully prepared to make a creamy mushroom soup.
- Refer to the blog post for how to use this soup, to replace canned condensed cream of mushroom soup, in green bean casserole, on pork chops or on chicken.
Nutrition Facts
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