Mushroom soup, with its creamy consistency and rich earthy flavor, is a wonderful dish for any season. It is a great lunch, dinner, or even a light meal option. What is more, this vegetarian version of homemade mushroom soup can be cooked in a single pot and takes about half an hour of your time for preparation.
The cooking of mushroom soup is not complicated, as the recipe contains only a few ingredients that can be found in any kitchen. The ingredients you will need to cook this soup are: fresh mushrooms, onion, garlic, milk, butter, and cream.
When it comes to comfort food, mushroom soup is one of the most loved dishes in the world. The vegetarian version of this soup contains either button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. The first thing you need to do to cook the soup is to sauté the mushrooms and add the broth afterwards to intensify their flavor and aroma.
To start with, you need butter, bay leaf, onion, and garlic. After that, flour can be the agent for thickening the dish, as well as using the vegetable stock (or just plain water), milk, and cream. A bunch of herbs, as well as a little bit of nutmeg, help to enhance the taste of the dish. The final result is a creamy soup served as a starter or light lunch.
Cooking Steps
Take 200–250 grams of mushrooms to prepare the dish. Wipe them clean with a wet cloth or briefly wash them. It is necessary to get rid of the hard bits of the stems and slice them.
Prepare other ingredients: two tablespoons of butter, one finely chopped small onion, two or three cloves of garlic, minced, one bay leaf, one tablespoon of flour, one cup of vegetable stock or water, one cup of whole milk, cream, salt, black pepper, fresh parsley or coriander, and a small pinch of nutmeg.
How to Prepare Cream of Mushroom Soup
Prepare the Aromatic Base
In a saucepan with a thick base, melt the butter over low to medium-low heat. Place a bay leaf in the heated butter and wait for its aroma to come out for a few seconds. Mix the diced onion and garlic and cook them until the garlic does not turn brown, as brown garlic may taste bitter.
Cook The Mushrooms
Add the mushrooms and stir them well. They will release moisture while being cooked. Continue stirring them until the mushrooms have become tender and browned and all the liquid is cooked away.
Sprinkle the flour on the mushrooms and stir for about three to four minutes. Properly cooking the flour will allow you to eliminate its raw taste and make the soup thick and smooth. Add some freshly ground pepper for palatability.
Prepare The Creamy Soup
Add vegetable broth or water and stir the mixture to combine all the ingredients well. Add milk at room temperature and mix all the ingredients. Add salt, taking into account that it is possible that the stock contains salt. As it cooks, the soup will gradually develop a thicker consistency.
Add the cream and chopped parsley or coriander. Stir well and simmer for another one to two minutes. Finally, add a little freshly grated nutmeg. Don’t forget to stop cooking and pour the soup into bowls.
How to Serve and Helpful Tips
Mushroom soup should be served hot and finished with some fresh herbs and black pepper. It goes particularly well with breads, garlic bread, sandwiches or bruschetta, as well as salads. It makes a wonderful entrée before pasta or rice dishes or any other main course.
If you want to add more flavor to your soup, make sure to let the mushrooms brown well before adding the flour. Use milk at room temperature to keep the soup smooth. If your soup becomes thicker than expected, you may add warm stock or milk to make it less dense.
This vegetarian cream of mushroom soup is a lovely recipe that is easy to prepare. Its creaminess and taste make it a perfect dish for daily meals as well as for special occasions.
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