Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.33 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• additional browned mushroom slices, for garnish
• cream or creme fraiche, small swirl for garnish
• fresh thyme, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add 1 tbsp butter and olive oil.
3. Add approximately half the mushrooms in a single layer. Do not crowd them.
4. Leave mushrooms mostly undisturbed for the first 2-3 minutes so real browning can develop.
5. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and released liquid has evaporated, approximately 6-8 minutes total.
6. Season lightly with salt. Transfer browned mushrooms to a bowl.
7. Repeat with another 1 tbsp butter and remaining mushrooms.
8. Reserve approximately 1 cup of the best browned mushrooms for adding back near the end.
9. Reduce heat to medium.
10. Add remaining 2 tbsp butter.
11. Add shallots. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened.
12. Add garlic and thyme. Cook approximately 30 seconds.
13. Sprinkle flour evenly over aromatics.
14. Cook while stirring approximately 2 minutes. Do not let the roux become dark.
15. Add dry sherry. Scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly to release browned mushroom fond.
16. Simmer 1-2 minutes until the raw alcohol aroma softens.
17. Slowly whisk in stock.
18. Return all browned mushrooms except the reserved finishing mushrooms. Add bay leaf, remaining salt, and black pepper.
19. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered approximately 20 minutes.
20. Remove and discard bay leaf.
21. Blend using immersion blender until mostly smooth but NOT completely pureed. Retain some mushroom texture.
22. Stir in heavy cream. Return reserved browned mushrooms.
23. Heat gently 3-5 minutes. DO NOT aggressively boil after adding cream.
24. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
25. Serve hot, garnished with additional browned mushrooms, a swirl of cream, fresh thyme, and cracked black pepper if desired.

Nutrition

Chef's Notes

MUSHROOMS: Cremini are the canonical default. Up to half may optionally be replaced with shiitake, maitake, or oyster mushrooms as a variation. SHERRY: Use dry sherry, not sweet sherry. Dry white wine may substitute if necessary. VEGETARIAN: Use vegetable stock. THICKER: Simmer a few extra minutes before cream is added. Do not automatically add more flour. SMOOTHER: Blend completely, then return reserved mushrooms. STORAGE: Refrigerate appropriately. Reheat gently. Avoid aggressive boiling after reheating.

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