Homemade cream of mushroom soup is so much healthier than store-bought condensed soup! It’s ready in less than twenty minutes using fresh mushrooms. This full flavor recipe is perfect for lunch or a light dinner, or added to recipes, like a classic slow cooker pot roast.
I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve been craving some serious home cooking lately, like classic slow cooker pot roast.
In my quest to find a go-to pot roast recipe, I stumbled across several recipes calling for cream of mushroom soup and a package of dry onion soup mix.
I figured out how to make the dry onion soup mix from scratch, and it was SO easy! Guess what? So is homemade cream of mushroom soup.
To think that making it from scratch is literally nothing more than melting butter, adding the easy to find ingredients, adding liquid and stirring, it’s somewhat shocking to think people are still buying the cans.
Ingredients
- butter
- mushrooms
- thyme
- salt
- ground black pepper
- garlic
- onion powder
- flour
- beef stock (how to make homemade stock)
- milk
Notes on Ingredients
Mushrooms. You can use any mushrooms (cremini, portabella & etc..) for this recipe. I usually have portabella mushrooms on hand, so I used those.
Beef Stock. I’ve also made this using Instant Pot chicken stock instead of beef stock when I ran out and it was STILL delicious! If you want to make it vegetarian, use vegetable stock.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium high heat.
Step 2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic, 1 tsp salt, pepper, 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 salt and pepper if needed.
Cream of Mushroom Soup Tips and Tricks
Once you make homemade cream of mushroom soup, 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) to smooth out the 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(according to this trusted source).
- Give the rich flavor a twist by adding garlic or bay leaf, using mushrooms and onions, subbing in heavy cream for milk, or white wines for half the broth!
- If you want a cream of mushroom substitute – look at this post. It shows how to make cream of celery soup!
To Serve
- 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 the canned condensed version of this soup.
- Alternatively, you can eat it 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
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 how to freeze in jars without breaking them. (I like these 16 oz jars).
This homemade recipe for cream of mushroom soup is healthy since it is made from scratch with only real food ingredients. Store-bought canned soups tend to be the unhealthy options. Check out the list of ingredients in a can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup (this is from their website):
Water, mushrooms, vegetable oil (corn, cottonseed, canola and/or soybean), modified food starch, wheat flour, contains less than 2% of: salt, monosodium glutamate, soy protein concentrate, dehydrated cream (cream [milk], soy lecithin), yeast extract, flavoring, dehydrated garlic.
Instead of cream of mushroom soup, you can make my delicious homemade cream of celery soup or my 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.
Save Money on Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
This decadent recipe is easy to make on short notice or with a tight budget. Mushrooms often go on clearance since they don’t keep long at the grocery store. When I see marked down mushrooms, I stock up, make soup, and freeze for later!
Eating the best food to fit your budget is a core principle in my signature eCourse, Grocery Budget Bootcamp. I teach you the tips and tricks that I use to keep my family’s grocery budget at $330 per month, which includes making food from scratch to save money. Enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE 5-day Crush Inflation Challenge and start saving money on groceries tomorrow!
With a little know-how and a bit of hard work, eating real food on a budget isn’t out of reach!
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Watch How to Make Homemade (condensed) Cream of Mushroom Soup:
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
Homemade cream of mushroom soup is so much healthier than store-bought condensed soup! It’s ready in less than twenty minutes using fresh mushrooms. This full flavor recipe is perfect for lunch or a light dinner!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 17 mins
- Yield: 10.5 oz 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced mushrooms (I used portabella)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup beef stock (how to make homemade stock)
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic, 1 tsp salt, pepper, 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 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 wines for half the broth!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 96
Best soup ever, I make it and then use it in different recipes throughout the winter. I like to use it as a base for a mushroom and wild rice and chicken soup (boil chicken and rice in chicken stock, shred chicken, add soup) or I just used it in a beef stroganoff recipe and it was to die for.
I will make this cream of mushroom soup tomorrow. I will be so relieved to have this in my stashes. Our recipe collection is wide. D varied Nd so many times. I want to use Cream of Mushroom Soup but Campbells the famous soup has too many ingredients I won’t eat any longer due to health and my family can’t either. SO SO SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS. I do have a fabulous recipe for this kind of soup but is ver y detailed. I w t this for adding to pot roast and pies. Will let u know
1st time m e making Cream of Mushroom soup. WOW! I will double. Or maybe triple this next time. I put some aside for when m y husband gets off work (he works the night shift) and had to h evrest for dinner.
Is there anyway to get a more complete nutrition listing?
Hi Molly,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re so glad you enjoyed it. We haven’t listed complete nutrition on recipes because there are often variations in home recipes. We’d recommend that you use a free online resource to plug in the recipe to get complete nutrition on your soup. Hope this helps! 🙂
Can you use dried mushrooms instead of fresh?
Hi Nickel,
Yes, you definitely can!
hey! my husband adores this receipt and I’ve made it many times over the years. But the last time I made it, it didn’t taste quite right. I did everything just as the recipe instructs, just like I always do. Have you made adjustments to the recipe at all? changed any quantities or ingredients or directions? I want to know if I made a mistake or if something has changed. My husband looks forward to this recipe every year when the weather starts to get cold and I want to continue to make it just as I was. I see the last update was made in August of this year and I know I’ve been using this recipe since about 2018-1019. Let me know if I’m going crazy! than you
Hello Cheyenne!
We are so glad that your husband loves this soup. The recipe hasn’t changed. Tiffany usually uses chicken stock. Is it possible that your stock, mushroom, or milk was old or went bad? Perhaps the pot wasn’t cleaned well? Not pointing any fingers- it’s all happened to me!
Loved this! I chopped up in onion instead of the powder. My son finished off the milk as I was reaching for it. So ended up using almond milk. So very good. I’m glad I made a double batch.
Does it matter what kind of mushrooms you use?
I prefer baby bella mushrooms or sliced white.
I changed up the recipe a little. Used mini Bella mushrooms and used chicken stock and organic coconut milk creamer……Delicious!
How much liquid (of whatever kind: milk or H2O) do I need to add to make this non-condensed? As if this came out of a can and I was adding a “can” of liquid to it before microwaving or heating up.
Just wanted to let you know I LOVE this recipe! My daughter has allergies to milk, eggs, and soy which are ingredients in many canned “cream of” soups. Many of our family recipes include this as an ingredient so we’ve been unable to eat those meals.
I used your recipe but subbed 1:1 Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free butter and Oatly oatmilk and it worked PERFECTLY! I have made tons of things from green bean casserole to chicken pot pie to pork chops with this replacement recipe and it tastes even better than before!! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for sharing this recipe! It has made the transition to allergy-free cooking so much easier!!
How do you store the cream of soups and how long can you store them for?
You can keep them in the freezer for 3-4 months Sara, or in the fridge for a few days.
Hi Tiffany…can you share what brand of beef bouillon cubes you use that you said has no msg for your onion soup mix?
Hi Jerrie, We recommend searching your favorite store for “MSG free bullion” and read the labels closely. 🙂
I’m curious about the salt content…the recipe calls for 2 tsp., divided…but it looks like only 1 tsp is actually used. I did it with 1 tsp. and it was incredibly salty! Other than that amazing! I will definitely make it again and maybe just try 1/2 tsp. instead 🙂
I’ve noticed that different people are used to different amounts of salt. Feel free to adjust!
I used the cream of mushroom soup to pour over my meatloaf. Also, used your dried onion soup for the meatloaf itself. Delicious! I’ve been making meatloaf for 25 years and last night my family said this was the best one ever! It’s a much healthier option, too! Thank you!!!
What a compliment!! You’re so very welcome Win! ♥
About how much does one batch equate to? 1 cup? 12oz?
It’s equal to one can, which is about 12-15 oz.
I just made this to throw over that Pot Roast recipe of yours.
WOW!! Fantastic
This is now pinned. 🙂
So glad you liked it Grace!
If this is as good as everyone says it is, I am going to make it very soon. I love cream of mushroom soup and we’ve always bought Campbells. Then our local Italian restaurant started offering soup with their meals and doing delivery. We get delivery once in a while and they had cream of mushroom soup one time . Loved it so much but needed a recipe and now I have one! Thank you for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
I hope you love it Gail!
Usually you add a an of water to the can of soup. So with the homade soup, is it considered condensed and need a can of water added to it after you complete the recipe and before it is served?
Hi Marsha! If you serve it as soup, you’ll need to add some water (or chicken stock) to thin it a bit. If you’re just using it in recipes that call for the soup, there’s no need to add water!
I just made this and it’s amazing. I buy organic cream of mushroom soup at $3.50 a can for a pasta recipe. I figured I saved about $4.50 making it myself AND it taste way better. It was super eady, too. I just want to eat it up, but I must save it for the pasta tomorrow. Thank you for a great recipe.
You’re very welcome Tamms! I feel the same way about eating it up right away. Self-control is a must! 🙂
I’m curious to try this recipe (and the other cream of soups). Does it matter what milk you use? Can I use skim milk or should I stick with whole milk?
Hi Megan! It doesn’t matter what milk you use. You could even use chicken stock for dairy free versions!
Can I use heavy cream in this recipe? We are lactose intolerant. I really want to try this recipe! I am thinking to maybe cut the cream to 1/4 cup and use 3/4 cup of broth?
That would probably work Cheryl! I’ve also made this with almond milk and that works too.
Can you use light cream instead of milk
You can, but it will be thick. I’d use less, and add more stock to get the right consistency.
Tiffany,
In your email you mention Better than Bouillon for this recipe. But then in the actual recipe you call for bouillon powder. I’ve never found BtB powder, only jars of paste. Even on the websites you mentioned for buying it. Do they make a powder?
Do you mean in the dry onion soup mix recipe Melissa? BTB only makes a paste that I know of, but in that particular post I gave reasons when you could sub BTB (i.e. in cooked recipes like stews and roasts), and when you should use another brand for bullion powder.
Corn starch would also probably work for a gluten free alternative. We use that in a lot of white sauce recipes.