14 Ways To Upgrade Cream Of Mushroom Soup

One ingredient can make baby bella mushroom soup deliciously decadent – heavy cream. A bowl of sautéed mushrooms in an herby vegetable broth is given a luxurious upgrade with a cup of heavy cream stirred into the pan once it's off the heat. If you're feeling alarmed at the indulgence, then you could add a cup of whole milk instead. Whipping cream has a slightly lower fat content than heavy cream and is also added to mushroom soups to give them a creamy taste. Be wary of swapping out cream for half-and-half or low-fat milk, however. Not only will you lose the richness of the flavor, but these ingredients aren't as resilient to heat in the same way. You may end up with a grainy, milky consistency rather than a velvety, smooth one. Instead of downgrading your soup, maybe serve smaller portions. 

There is another option if you really don't want to add high-fat cream. Combine a little cornstarch with some milk or regular cream before mixing it into your soup. It can turn a watery mushroom soup into a thicker, creamier soup. If you're making a wild mushroom soup you can add potatoes and less heavy cream and you'll get the same silky consistency. Then, you can add runny crème fraîche for a creamy, sour finish.

Blending mushroom soup not only makes the consistency wonderfully silky, but it boosts the flavor. Naturally, what also makes a big difference is not how you make the soup, but also what mushrooms you make it with. There are a rich variety of mushrooms to choose from, each with its own unique flavor. For example, Swiss Brown mushrooms give soup a more mushroomy taste compared to the white mushrooms that you might see in abundance at the store. Swiss Browns also darken the color of the soup. Using both these mushrooms intensifies the flavor without making the creaminess of the soup look dark and unappealing. 

Cremini or baby bella mushrooms are robust enough for soup and have a stronger flavor than white mushrooms, too. Portobello mushrooms are larger, and you may see them at the store without their stems. They are actually the same mushroom as cremini and white mushrooms but have matured for longer. Their appeal is their meaty taste and texture that gives cream of mushroom soup a richer taste. Another great-tasting mushroom to use to make a wild mushroom soup is shiitake. This variety promises a woody flavor that stands out in all its umami glory. You could try making a soup with dried wild mushrooms that you rehydrate and use along with the water they are soaked in, then add some fresh mushrooms to put it over the top. 

A soup served without any creative flair to finish can look a little bland, no matter how tasty it is. A simple way to make a down-to-earth soup look fancy is with a drizzle of olive oil across the surface, added just before serving. It looks artistic and makes you want to plunge a soup spoon in and mix it in. Upgrade your cream of mushroom soup by using a store-bought or homemade infused oil and you'll never want to serve another bowl without it.

Perk up the earthiness of mushrooms and the plainness of cream with a heat-inducing chili oil. The swirl of red oil looks vibrant against the soup, and it adds a nice little kick without being overpowering. You can make your own spicy oil by adding crushed chili peppers and whole ones to hot olive oil and leaving it to sit for a couple of hours at least. Either strain or skim off the oil without the chili bits before drizzling on the soup. For a gourmet touch that elevates umami into another flavor stratosphere, swirl cream of mushroom soup with black truffle-infused olive oil. Truffles are so irresistible and add a magnificent muskiness. Rather than make your own, you might find it easier to treat yourself to a bottle of truffle olive oil instead. Garlic-infused olive oil is tremendous, too. 

If you're a whiz in the kitchen, you've probably got a pretty good selection of dried herbs. And you may have your own home-grown fresh herbs, too, especially if you have a windowsill herb garden. If you've ever tasted herby mushrooms on toast, then you'll already know how adding the right herb to a cream of mushroom soup can enhance the flavor and turn it into a fragrant bowl of yumminess. Herbs elevate the taste of mushrooms and varieties that pair well with herbs include thyme, parsley, and tarragon. Try topping mushroom soup with foaming brown butter and a few crispy sage leaves cooked in the butter to give nutty, peppery, almost-citrusy notes. 

For a superb homemade cream of mushroom soup, sauté mushrooms with garlic, shallot, and fresh thyme. Then, top the soup with some chopped parsley for a flash of brilliant green and a fresh, herby finish. Upgrading soup doesn't have to be complicated — all you really need are fresh herbs. Rosemary, for example, doesn't only pair with lamb — it boosts the flavor of mushroom soup, too. Fresh or dried oregano and basil bring Italian flair to soup-making. Add a small amount of herbs to start and build from there to get the balance just right. If you use sprigs of thyme, take these out of the soup upon serving, as they are too woody to eat. Cilantro and chives are mushroom-soup-friendly, too.

Cream of mushroom soup isn't renowned as being a spicy soup. You might add mushrooms when following a vegetarian hot and sour soup recipe. And you'll certainly throw them into the pot if you're making a Thai-style tom yum soup. Why not upgrade your cream of mushroom soup with a flash of heat as well? It might not seem like the most obvious change to make, but if chili oil makes sense to swirl on the top, then why not some spices, too? 

You can taste the spiciness of cayenne pepper when it's added to the creamy flavors of a mushroom soup. Though you might want to be a little restrained when adding it if you want to bring just a little heat, as opposed to a mighty kick. Paprika is less intense, and you can choose between a hot version or a sweet or smoked one. While you might add cayenne pepper to a soup, you can also sprinkle some on the top of a serving or use paprika to finish instead. Chili powder can range from adding some warmth to your soup to bringing the spicy heat levels way up. And chili flakes are another ingredient that's easy to source and use in soups. Cumin and black pepper can give cream of mushroom soup a subtle spiced taste, too. 

If the reason you really love soup is so that you can dip a hunk of crusty bread into it, then that's totally understandable. Rather than serving cream of mushroom soup with a couple of boring buttered slices, upgrade it with some flavorful toasted bread. It's a simple way that you can transform your soup without you having to do anything to it. Make a Hasselback-style garlic baguette by cutting without separating the slices. Spread garlic butter with grated Gruyère and Parmesan, plus some chopped parsley. When you rip apart the bread, the melted butter will have soaked into both sides of each slice so it's ridiculously good. 

Or what about a cheesy garlic ciabatta with Parmesan and mozzarella? Or broiled slices of a loaf brushed with olive oil and grated Parmesan and paprika all stuck under the broiler again? Blue cheese toasts are amazing, too. Mix the blue cheese with butter and broil on toasted bread. These are great additions to the soup as large, cheesy croutons.

Cream of mushroom soup isn't usually a delight for you if you're vegan or follow a dairy-free diet. However, there's nothing stopping you from enjoying a creamy, mushroomy bowl of comforting soup if you swap out a few ingredients. In place of cream, you can use coconut milk instead, which can be wonderfully rich tasting. If you want to keep the calories down, then look for low-fat coconut milk. With the explosion of plant-based foods and ingredients, you can also find vegan cream in stores and there are lots of plant-based milk alternatives, such as oat milk. 

Almond milk and unsweetened soy milk can work in a cream of mushroom soup, too. And you can also make your own cashew milk. To do so, blitz cashew nuts in a blender with some vegetable stock. Once you've cooked your mushrooms, garlic, and onion, add in any herbs and white wine. Pour in some stock and bring to a boil before mixing in your blended nut milk.