I know what you’re thinking- “Cream of Mushroom Soup? Gross.” but stick with me here, this is far from the condensed can of soup we all have known (and loved!).

Not that there is anything wrong with a good old can of cream of mushroom soup. My brother-in-law and I were recently discussing how versatile a can of cream of mushroom soup can be. I must admit I always have one on hand in my cupboard to add as a base to other dishes. I use it in my pot roast base, he adds it to a roux for leftover turkey pot pie. Something I definitely will have to try (Thanks Jay)!

I can even remember back in the early days of dating, Brett knew how to make his ~”one thing”~. You know, that one thing every guy cooks for you because they only know that and aren’t super confident in the kitchen otherwise? He had a thing. It was this sauteed chicken dish with a creamy thyme sauce. The base was a can of cream of mushroom soup and you built from there (but mostly it was cream of mushroom soup seasoned with chicken breast in it). While he hasn’t made it in years, as I generally take over the cooking in our house, and that memory might not make it into a Campbell’s soup commercial, there is still something comforting in this soup.

 

A handful of shiitake mushrooms and about 8000 (ok, I’m exaggerating) Baby Bella’s really amped up the flavor from that traditional can. I’m lucky that my local grocery store sells a variety of loose fresh mushrooms, but you can use dehydrated or experiment with different varieties.

This recipe is meant to be quick and easy.  There aren’t a lot of ingredients and it all comes together very quickly. A quick blend with your immersion blender (or food processor/blender) and you are good to go! Less than an hour. I’m actually planning on working on a creamless version, but if you can’t have dairy I honestly think this would work without the cream and no other substitutions.

I made this for lunch on the weekend as it’s gotten pretty cold here suddenly! A great addition to this would be some crusty bread or fresh croutons. I wish I had thought ahead and made my easy dutch oven bread that day. My soup recipes seem to get a lot of interest so I will hopefully be getting some more out to you soon.  Enjoy!

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 32oz Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned & chopped
• A handful of Shiitake Mushrooms (I used about 7), cleaned and chopped
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp Butter
• 3 Large Shallots, chopped
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried Tarragon
• 4 cups Chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt + Pepper

Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the butter and melt. Add mushrooms, coat with oil and sautée until golden brown (about 10 minutes).  Set aside about a cup of mushrooms to add in later. Add garlic, shallots and cook for another minute. Next add tarragon, salt, pepper (to taste) and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Return pot to stove on low (just to keep warm) and whisk in cream. Adjust Salt and Pepper as needed and mix in reserved mushrooms.