Entrees/ Recipes/ Soups, congee and stews

Cream of Mushroom Soup – Easy Pantry Recipe

Name: Easy Cream and Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 2 cups dried mushrooms, plus 3 cups of water to rehydrate the mushrooms; 2 cups mushroom liquid ((from the rehydrated mushrooms)); 3 peeled parboiled potatoes, rough dice; 3 yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 tsp canola oil, or oil of choice ((have more handy)); ¼ cup butter ((have more handy)); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp dried thyme; 3 cups chicken stock; 1 can (184 ml) condensed Cream of Mushroom soup, plus 1 can full (184 ml) of water; Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to season

Cream of Mushroom Easy Pantry version

This homemade version of Cream of Mushroom soup uses many pantry ingredients including dried mushrooms, garlic, onions, and potatoes. Dried mushrooms have a long shelf life and the perfect ingredient in the soup to give an intense earthy and umami taste. The mushrooms along with some of the liquid from hydrating it is what gives the soup depth and colour. I bought the container of mixed dried mushrooms that include dried porcini and portobellos from Costco, but do use the variety or varieties of dried mushrooms you can get your hands on.

Every ingredient helps to create a delicious, comforting and earthy soup that you will love!

Talking about flavour builders, the soup has a base of caramelized onions which adds natural sweetness to the soup. The potatoes add a subtle flavour and also helps thicken the soup.

Typically, the Cream of Mushroom soup needs table cream but this version uses a small can of condensed Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. The canned taste of the soup does not overpower the soup but provides the right amount of creaminess and lightens the soup colour as well.

Making it your own

Recipes should be used as a guideline and although I am confident you will love the soup exactly as is, here are some ways that you can change up the recipe.

The recipe calls for 2 cups of dried mushrooms and if you do not have dried mushrooms, you can substitute it with 4 cups of fresh mushrooms of your choice. Swap the chicken stock with vegetable stock to make it fully vegetarian.

The potatoes help to thicken the soup and provide an extra layer of creaminess when blended. If you do not have potatoes, you can create a roux of butter and flour before adding your stock, or add bread to thicken the soup.

In my recipe, I had parboiled the potatoes. You can skip this step and instead dice the potatoes smaller, and cook it in the soup until it is fully cooked.

I also have another version of “Cream of Mushroom Soup with mushroom dusted crouton recipe” on my blog that utilizes fresh and dried mushrooms.

Soup is comforting and truly soothes the soul. I hope this soup will bring big smiles to your faces and belly!

Recipe

Easy Cream and Mushroom Soup

The soup uses dried mushrooms to give the soup a powerful earthy flavour, with potatoes to thicken the soup, and a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup in replace of table cream.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Canadian, French

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Mary Tang

Ingredients

2 cups dried mushrooms, plus 3 cups of water to rehydrate the mushrooms
2 cups mushroom liquid (from the rehydrated mushrooms)
3 peeled parboiled potatoes, rough dice
3 yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp canola oil, or oil of choice (have more handy)
¼ cup butter (have more handy)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried thyme
3 cups chicken stock
1 can (184 ml) condensed Cream of Mushroom soup, plus 1 can full (184 ml) of water
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to season

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the dried mushrooms and the water to cover the mushrooms. Add a dish on top to keep the mushrooms submerged. Soak for an hour or until the mushrooms are completely rehydrated. Pour the mushroom liquid through a sieve to catch any sediments and reserve 2 cups of the liquid. Set the drained mushrooms aside.
Using an Instant pot, add the steaming trivet, and add enough water until it reaches the top of the trivet. Add the potatoes on top of the trivet. Close the lid and make sure the lid is on "sealing". Press the “steam button” and manually change the timer to 7 minutes. When the timer is up, turn the knob to "venting" and do a quick release. Open the lid and remove the potatoes. If you do not have an Instant Pot, boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to pierce through easily.
Peel the potatoes and dice into roughly 2-inch cubes. Set aside.

Cooking the vegetables and aromatics

In a large pot, turn the heat on medium-high, add oil and add all the sliced onions at once. Turn the heat to medium. Add the butter and stir occasionally. Cook for about 20 minutes until the onions are caramelized with the flesh semi-transparent. Add more butter as needed.
Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute.
Add the rehydrated mushrooms into the pot and the parboiled diced potatoes and cook for about a minute.

Stock time

Add the chicken stock, the reserved mushroom liquid, and the dried thyme. Simmer for at least 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to be blended.
Add a can of cream of mushroom soup with equal amounts of water. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth.
Season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning or liquid levels for desired thickness. Serve and enjoy.