Homemade cream of mushroom soup is thick, rich, and creamy, and it’s much better than store-bought! Use in all your favorite recipes or serve up a bowl with crusty bread!
Whenever the weather gets colder, I start to crave some cozy comfort food, like Shepherd’s Pie or Stovetop Mac and Cheese or Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast.
In my quest to find a go-to pot roast recipe, I stumbled across several recipes calling for a can of cream of mushroom soup and a package of dry onion soup mix.
I figured out how to make Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix, and it was SO easy! Guess what? So is homemade cream of mushroom soup.
WHY MAKE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
Not only is it super easy to make, but homemade cream of mushroom soup is also:
- Made with simple ingredients. Aside from fresh mushrooms, you probably already have everything you need.
- Quick! Mix up a batch of this mushroom soup recipe in just a few minutes.
- Frugal. Mushrooms often go on clearance since they don’t keep long at the grocery store. When I see them marked down, I stock up and make multiple batches.
- Freezer friendly. It’s easy to make extra and freeze for future recipes.
- Rich, creamy, and decadent. I bet you can’t describe the canned version that way!
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CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Mix up this cream of mushroom soup recipe in just a few minutes! Here’s what you need:
- Unsalted butter. This makes the soup creamy and delicious. You can use extra virgin olive oil instead.
- Mushrooms. Any mushrooms will work – cremini mushrooms, white button mushrooms, baby bella, or portabella are what you’re likely to find at the grocery store. Even fancy shiitake mushrooms are tasty!
- Seasonings: thyme + salt + ground black pepper + onion powder
- Garlic. Fresh minced garlic is my preference here, but garlic powder will also work in a pinch.
- Flour. This helps thicken the mushroom soup. Use gluten-free flour for a gluten free cream of mushroom soup.
- Beef stock. I’ve also made this using Instant Pot Chicken Broth when I ran out of beef stock, and it was still delicious. Choose vegetable stock for a vegetarian cream of mushroom soup.
- Milk. Use cream or half and half for extra richness. Or go with almond milk or coconut milk and use olive oil to make this dairy-free.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
Step 1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Step 2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and onion powder. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 3. Add the flour to the pot and stir to coat. Let the flour cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Step 4. Add the milk and broth and whisk well to incorporate the flour into the liquid.
Step 5. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer uncovered while whisking until the soup is very thick, anywhere from 2-5 minutes.
Step 6. Taste the soup (careful, it will be hot) and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Store cream of mushroom soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for 3-4 months.
MUSHROOM SOUP RECIPE TIPS
Once you make this homemade mushroom soup recipe, I promise you’ll never buy from the store again. It’s just too easy, and it tastes so much better! Plus, it’s so versatile:
- If you don’t like the chunks of mushrooms, you can use an immersion blender (I recommend this one) for a velvety, creamy soup.
- Make it vegan by using all stock OR substituting non-dairy milk. Replace the butter with olive oil.
- Make it gluten-free by using sweet rice flour or gluten free all-purpose flour. A cornstarch slurry would also work here – just mix cornstarch with a bit of water before adding it to the pot.
- Give the rich flavor a twist by adding extra garlic or a bay leaf, using mushrooms and onions, subbing in heavy cream for milk, or white wine for half the broth!
- If you want a cream of mushroom substitute, try Cream of Celery Soup instead!
TO SERVE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
- My original plan to use cream of mushroom soup is in a Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast. But it can be used in any casserole calling for canned condensed cream of mushroom soup.
- Make Healthier Green Bean Casserole! Enjoy a better-for-you version of a classic.
- My Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe has options with or without cream of mushroom soup.
- Use it as a base for chicken and wild rice soup. Yum!
- Alternatively, you can eat cream of mushroom soup as a side dish or a weeknight main dish! Can you imagine the earthy taste of creamy mushroom soup in a Homemade Artisan Bread Bowl? YUM! That might beat out our favorite Weeknight Creamy Mushroom Pasta!
FAQS FOR CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP RECIPES
Can cream of mushroom soup recipes be frozen?
This recipe makes one “can” of cream of mushroom soup, but you can easily double it or triple it if you want to make a lot at one time. Follow these instructions on freezing in jars without breaking them. (I like these 16 oz jars).
Is cream of mushroom soup healthy?
This homemade recipe for cream of mushroom soup is made from scratch with only real food ingredients. Store-bought canned soups tend to be the unhealthy options, with hydrogenated oils and MSG. Keep those out of my kitchen!
Do I need to add any extra liquid to home made cream of mushroom soup?
Since this cream of mushroom soup isn’t condensed like the kind in the can, you don’t need to add any additional milk or water to the recipe. As written, it equals about 10-12 ounces, which is similar to one can of condensed soup. That said, if you’re serving it as a soup on its own, you can add a bit of milk or stock to thin it if you prefer.
What is a substitute for cream of mushroom soup?
Instead of cream of mushroom soup, you can make Homemade Cream of Celery Soup or Cream of Chicken Soup which are perfect replacements in recipes. Of course, they will have a different flavor profile but will be equally as delicious.
MORE EASY SOUP RECIPES
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Leftover Pork and Potato Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Minestrone Soup
- Red Lentil Vegetable Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
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Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
Homemade cream of mushroom soup is thick, rich, and creamy, and it’s much better than store-bought! Use in all your favorite recipes or serve up a bowl with crusty bread!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 10.5 oz 1x
- Category: Soup & Salad
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced mushrooms (I used portabella)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 Tbsp flour
- ½ cup beef stock (how to make homemade stock)
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic, 1 tsp salt, pepper, and onion powder. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the flour to the pot and stir to coat. Let the flour cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add the milk and broth and whisk well to incorporate the flour into the liquid.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer uncovered while whisking until the soup is very thick, anywhere from 2-5 minutes.
- Taste the soup (careful, it will be hot) and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- If you don’t like the chunks of mushrooms you can use an immersion blender (I recommend this one) to smooth out the soup.
- Give the rich flavor a twist by adding garlic or bay leaf, using mushrooms and onions, subbing in heavy cream for milk, or white wine for half the broth!
- Since this cream of mushroom soup isn’t condensed like the kind in the can, you don’t need to add any additional milk or water to the recipe. As written, it equals about 10-12 ounces, which is similar to one can of condensed soup. That said, if you’re serving it as a soup on its own, you can add a bit of milk or stock to thin it if you prefer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 96
This homemade cream of mushroom soup looks absolutely delicious! I love how it’s made from simple, fresh ingredients and is much healthier than the canned version. The tips for customizing the soup and freezing it are so helpful too. I can’t wait to try this recipe, especially with crusty bread!