Wild Mushroom Soup with Crème Fraîche
The warm summer air is cooling into crisp autumn, and all the fall classics like apples, beets, and mushrooms are coming back ready to be braised, roasted, and pureed. When I feel that cool air, I naturally start cooking soups and stews, and this homemade cream of mushroom soup is a fall favorite of mine.
Wild mushrooms and tangy buttermilk crème fraîche set this soup apart from others.
It all starts with deeply browned mushrooms, which add tremendous flavor to this vegetarian soup and lets the complex character of the mushrooms to shine.
I use a mix of wild mushrooms like shiitake, cremini, hen of the woods, and chantrel because it helps to vary the flavors.
Whichever mushrooms you use, save the stems and make a quick mushroom stock. You can use vegetable or chicken stock, but mushroom stock really deepens those woodsy flavors.
Once the soup finishes cooking, I like to stir in homemade buttermilk crème fraîche and a little soy sauce rather than cream. It gives the soup a salty tang that makes you want to keep digging in.
This homemade cream of mushroom soup is comforting, classic, and hearty enough for a simple dinner served with some crusty bread and a simple salad.
The best mushroom soup starts with deep, woodsy mushroom stock and is finished with homemade buttermilk crème fraîche and a little soy sauce.
Homemade Buttermilk Crème Fraîche…Worth It
Buttermilk stirred into a good-quality heavy cream and left out overnight turns into something incredible. Thick, tangy crème fraîche so much better than what you’ll find at the store.
It may seem unsafe to leave dairy unrefrigerated, but that’s the point. The live cultures in the buttermilk multiply and prevent the harmful bacteria from spoiling everything.
I find that one Tbsp of buttermilk per cup of heavy cream is perfect to make a super-rich and creamy crème fraîche in about 12 to 24 hours.
Wild Mushroom Soup with Crème Fraîche
Ingredients
Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 4 tbsp 60 g unsalted butter
- 1 lb 454 g mixed wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, hen of the woods, chantrel
- 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 tbsp 8 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup 120 ml white wine
- 4 cups 1 l mushroom stock, or vegetable stock
- 3 tsp Sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup 120 ml buttermilk crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Buttermilk Crème Fraîche
- 2 cups 480 ml heavy cream, pasteurized, not ultra pasteurized
- 2 Tbsp 30 ml cultured buttermilk
Instructions
Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Add the butter and then add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are well browned, about 5-8 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the leek to the pan. Give everything a stir, and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring, until liquid is evaporated, 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook until the vegetables are coated and the raw flavor of the flour is cooked off, about 1 minute.
- Add the stock and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then add the paprika, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and 1 tsp thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the buttermilk crème fraîche and soy sauce. Sprinkle in the parsley remaining 1 tsp of thyme. Taste and then season with salt and pepper if needed.
Buttermilk Crème Fraîche
- Combine the cream and buttermilk in a clean glass jar. Partially cover and let stand in a warm spot until thickened, about 24 hours. The crème fraîche should be very thick like greek yogurt.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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