Aw, I do so love this Roasted Mushroom Soup. What is it about mushrooms that we love so much? Is it the shape? The earthiness? Whatever the reason many of us love them in any form. When you add a variety of mushrooms to a dish or salad, roast them or make a pot of soup using them only helps to enhance our love affair.
The thing I enjoy the most is I can use any variety or combination of mushrooms to make this soup. The fact that I have a gourmet mushroom grower just done the street makes this soup all the more fun to make.
That’s enough talk; let’s get on with making this heavenly soup.
Roasted Mushroom Soup
Ingredients: Makes 4 large or 6 regular servings.
- 2 pounds of any combination of fresh mushrooms of your choice (white, crimini, shitake mushrooms, etc.)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium sweet red onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 28 oz. chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup sherry
- Garnish: Reserved thinly sliced roasted mushrooms & sprigs of thyme
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450° F. Where needed, cut the mushroom to allow for a uniform size. Place the mushrooms on one or two sheet pans in a single layer and toss with oil; season with salt and pepper and toss again to distribute the seasoning. Roast the mushroom for 30 minutes stirring occasionally; mushrooms should be toasty and brown not burned. Cool, the roasted mushrooms a bit. Reserve a few mushrooms for garnish and coarsely chop the rest.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and sauté over medium heat until most of the liquid disappears, about 5 minutes or so. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Move the mushroom mixture off the heat and puree with an immersion blender or stand blender until smooth. Add the cream and sherry and quickly blend to combine. Check for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot in individual soup bowls and garnished with reserved thinly sliced roasted mushrooms and sprigs of thyme. Enjoy.
Notes: Always use the freshest mushrooms you can find. This Roasted Mushroom Soup recipe can be doubled and made in advance of when you plan to serve it. It reheats very nicely. In fact, its flavors improve with time. If you prefer a faster version, you can chop the fresh mushrooms and sauté them in the pan on the stovetop in place of roasting them. Make sure to sauté them well enough to reduce the liquids that will emanate from them and proceed from there with the recipe. Not roasting the mushrooms will change the taste a bit; regardless, it’s just as good.
Tips: In regards to cleaning mushrooms, there is a myth that says not to wash them in water, that they will absorb too much moisture when you do. That doesn’t happen when you rinse them well in a colander and pat them dry. However, that doesn’t mean you should soak them with or in water.
This is such a great soup for any occasion. It’s an extraordinarily special treat for a family or holiday feast. Add a small green salad and a bit of my homemade bread and you’ll have a glorious feast all by itself.
Time to eat…
If you enjoyed my “Roasted Mushroom Soup,” check out my Black Bean Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup or my Super Easy Chili. Enjoy.
P.S. Take a moment to check out or purchase some of the tools I used for this “Roasted Mushroom Soup” below. 🙂