Growing up I wasn’t picky about food but I knew what I liked and what I didn’t like. While other kids were eating Chef Boyardee and Spaghetti-Os I just couldn’t do it. Similarly I could never get excited over canned soups. One of the few canned soups I would eat (and is practically the case today) was Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. I’m not sure what it was about that soup but I could eat bowlfuls of the stuff with a stack of saltines.
For whatever reason I have never made my own cream of mushroom soup and I don’t have any memories of eating it from somewhere other than a can. It’s not that I find the can that satisfying, it had never occurred to me to make my own. My friend from high school Leesa sent me this recipe about a year ago for cream of mushroom soup and I finally decided to make it.
The actual recipe says to use all button mushrooms but that feels like a waste of flavour, doesn’t it? Why use only button mushrooms when the supermarket is filled with creminis, portobello, shitake, oyster and all sorts of other mushrooms. I used button, cremini and portobello mushrooms for my soup to give it a bit more depth.
What I loved about this soup was the wine flavour and the fact that it wasn’t sickeningly creamy. Sure, you use a cup of heavy cream but you also use 4 cups of broth and half a bottle of wine so the cream just adds a bit more body to it. Trust me when I say this soup is nothing like you’d expect out of a can – it’s on a totally different level. I’m absolutely in love with this soup. I served it with some crusty multigrain bread for a weeknight dinner and was thrilled.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 stick (4 ounces or 1/2 cup) of butter
2 pounds mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
3 onions, peeled and chopped
1/2 bottle Shiraz or other hearty red wine
4 cups rich chicken broth
1 cup 35% heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon or more of chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper
1. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the butter, mushrooms and onions. Sauté until lightly browned. The mushrooms will initially release a lot of moisture, which will eventually evaporate allowing them to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the Shiraz and bring to a simmer until it is reduced by half. Add the chicken broth and cream, stir well and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme and continue cooking for a few minutes. As the soup simmers stir the cornstarch into a ¼-cup of water. Add the mixture slowly to the simmering soup, stirring until it returns to the simmer and thickens slightly. If you prefer your soup a bit thicker feel free to add more cornstarch. Season to taste.
(Recipe via Food Network Canada)
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That looks like a really rich and flavorful Cream of Mushroom Soup! Yum!
I looove Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup! How funny. I’ll have to try this, as I finally started branching out into non-campbell’s cream of mushroom soups this very winter!
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I am going to give this a try too! Sounds delicious! Are you cooking with sweet potatoes any time soon?
Your soup looks hearty. I made clam chowder last night.