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Autumn Gluten Free Recipes Vegetarian

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup Recipe

If there’s one thing the downturn in weather condition in the latter days of September denotes, it’s that soup can once again make a legitimate claim to roughly a third of my diet. This year, the contrast in diet between summer and autumn seems particularly pronounced. As far as I can tell, the reason for this is two-fold; firstly, I was in Spain only a month ago, enjoying indecently balmy weather and; secondly, the weather in Britain really is living up to its reputation. Indeed, as far as I can tell, whole cities have been swept away by torrents of water, so comprehensive has the media coverage been here. However, as has been suggested, the weather hasn’t had a particularly negative effect on my diet since soup, one of my favourite types of food, is back on the menu!

Let’s face it, tinned mushroom soup tends to be a bit of a let-down and since it’s not particularly frugal to spend money on something which isn’t enjoyed or appreciated, I thought it high time to rectify my mushroom soup woes. Happily, no such disappointment was experienced when tucking into this particular meal; the entire bowl was all flavour and creaminess. For this recipe I used chestnut mushrooms because they are reasonably priced and extremely flavoursome. However, I am fully cognisant of the fact that mushroom variety and price depends on the area in which you live. Go with the most economical and local mushrooms you possibly can, as long as they harbour a strong flavour.

Mushroom Soup Recipe

As far as creaminess is concerned, most people seem to use mascarpone to achieve similar results. I don’t really understand this because soft or cream cheese yields the same, or even a more interesting, flavour and texture at around half the price! Please enjoy my first soup of autumn 2012 – it’s a good one!

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed

• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme, finely chopped

• 750ml chicken or vegetable stock

• 200g full or half fat cream cheese

• Olive oil to serve

• Salt and pepper if necessary

Method:

1. Begin by frying off the sliced mushrooms along with the onion, garlic and rosemary or thyme, in a little olive oil. Cook the mushrooms for long enough to allow them to release excess water – 5-7 minutes on a high heat. If you don’t have a hand blender if would be best to purée them now.

2. Tip the mushroom purée into a large pan, top up with the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and allow it to melt. Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes before serving alongside bread with a drizzle of oil. Remember to purée it before serving if using a hand blender.

Mushroom Soup Recipe Mushroom Soup Recipe

Cost: Wherever you are I’m sure there’s a relatively cheap variety of mushroom lurking. For me, each punnet of chestnut mushrooms costs £1 and contains 250g. In my book, such a price is most cost-effective. As such, this rather large pot of delicious soup should set one back roughly £3.10! Lovely.

150 replies on “Creamy Mushroom Soup”

Beautiful, beautiful soup. It’s funny, because I was thinking the same thing: the last couple of years in Portugal you weren’t really able to tell the difference between the extreme seasons (summer/winter) and the mild ones. But this time I’ve noticed the difference between the end of summer and beginning of autumn… a lot! And where I’ve noticed that mostly was in the food I’ve been preparing. 🙂 And again: beautiful soup. 😛

Mushrooms are staples in my kitchen, I am in love with all things mushrooms, and this soup just makes me hungry.
Which cream cheese did you use for this soup? From what I recall, back home in Europe, we have cream cheese that is different from the American “philadelphia” cheese. Thanks! 🙂

I too adore soup! I’ve made Carrot Ginger soup twice in the last week. 🙂 This mushroom soup looks divine and I will be adding it to my weekly soup menu. Have a lovely weekend Frugal!

Sounds amazing. I hate most soups, but mushroom soup is one of my favourite foods. I’m a vegetarian and most restaurants make their mushroom soups using an animal based broth, so I’m excited to try this soup at home so I can make delicious veggie-friendly soup.

If you were to make this you can use the leftovers for a puedo green bean caserole. You cooke fresh greenbeans and roll them into puff pastry. You cut them into nice rounds. Then coat with egg wash. Cook in oven and fry up son thinly sliced onions. Pull them out spoon soup over and sprinkle with onions. You have nice orderves for guests.

x,
Becca

Dude, this looks fabulous! I have always wanted to try making my own mushroom soup, but could not find a recipe that wasn’t laden with heavy cream. I have nothing against heavy cream, but it definitely has something against my waistline!

Reblogged this on Foodashion's Blog and commented:
I am usually in the kitchen for hours creating recipes and writing and photographing but today I decided to try this recipe since it looked like the most beautiful, warming soup I could hope for ( I LOVE SOUP). Well…. the results were exactly as I had hoped. Warming, rich and totally perfect for a fall rainy day.I converted the metric measurements for you. This was FANTASTIC you must try it.
1 lb mushrooms
3 1/2 Cup Stock
7 ounces Cream Cheese
Foodasion approved!!

Thanks for dropping by Pink Sister earlier. Reading ALL your blog with great interest. Just back from the weekly shop and would be interested to know what you and your readers make of Aldi, Lidl etc and what is good value. Personally find the flour, sugar, passata, tomato paste, 70% chocolate, continental meat, free range eggs… Hard to beat at Aldi. All the best, looking forward to more recipes. X Pink Sister

Haha! Yup, I lived there for two years. Plus I’ve even been to Tasmania to visit the Port Arthur Prison where so many of the criminals were sent (and where all those shootings occurred).

Then, you’re a braver girl that I… Which isn’t difficult since I’m a man (or at least a boy)…

I am going to try your recipe. I am a lover of mushroom soup. So much so, I like even the canned mushroom soup. Cringe if you like, I don’t blame you. Anyway, this looks great and I am going to try to make a batch tomorrow. Great post. Thanks!

i cannot begin to tell you how excited i am about this soup. i will not and have not dared open one of those canned nasties.. horrible thought.. and have thought about creating my own mushroom soup. but now i do not have to .. this looks like it may be a staple around here at lunch time .. thank you!! c

This looks so delicious, before my vegan days I used to use dairylea instead of cream in my soups, sounds strange but it really works – especially with a spiced courgette soup!

We are so glad that it’s soup season. I personally cannot stand cream of mushroom soup, but your shot of the sauteed beauties has me reconsidering … I love mushrooms, but the soup … eck. Maybe I just haven’t had the right recipe. I will give it a try …

Hi Nick! These pictures are mesmerizing; absolutely amazing. And the soup – why would you eat a canned soup when you can easily make it yourself? And it looks and tastes so much better than the canned version. Simply delicious 🙂

I’ve only recently started liking mushrooms and so when I made this soup it was the first mushroom soup I’d ever tried… the rest will have a lot to live up to 😀
Worked just fine making half quantities and saving some for the next day to take with me for lunch in a thermos!

Made soup for lunch with this recipe today… sitting at my laptop staring at the beautiful bowl in front of me, topped with a few drops of my precious truffle oil…. what a simply perfect rainy afternoon. 🙂 Thanks!

Love this recipe for mushroom soup. And I’m lucky enough to live in/near the “mushroom capital of the world” — Kennett Square PA so I’m off to buy mushrooms and give this a try. Glad you liked my post on tomatoes.

Made this for lunch today and it’s absolutely delicious. Easy to do, takes little time but tastes great, what more could you ask for?

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