Creamy Mushroom Soup
PUBLISHED ON: 01.05.2025
I am excited for my upcoming “Let’s Go to Bordeaux” wine classes this month. One of my favorite features is pairing wines with small dishes. Before each class, I host a small focus group with friends to review my selected pairings. This allows us to taste the wines alongside the dishes, to ensure the dish enhances the wine (or does no harm to the wine) rather than detracting from its flavors. This helps to describe with the class why the pairing works.
I selected a single-varietal Merlot, the Château La Justice 2019 from Fronsac. This wine comes from Bordeaux’s Right Bank, near the Dordogne River. A good merlot is known for its smooth, earthy flavor profile, and Merlot pairs wonderfully with rich and creamy dishes, which led me to a creamy mushroom soup. The wine’s velvety tannins complement the richness of the mushrooms, creating a harmonious balance without overpowering the dish.
I found a recipe by Chef John’s on AllRecipes while the recipe takes a little time, the effort is rewarded with a broth rich in umami and earthy flavors. It’s also adaptable to personal tastes. Many commenters suggested adding sherry to elevate the soup, but I opted to keep the recipe simple to allow the Merlot’s character to shine. I also chose not to blend the soup to complete smoothness, as I wanted my class to experience the texture alongside the wine.
The pairing is a winner! The creamy mushroom soup complemented the Merlot, enhancing its earthy and smooth qualities. If you’re attending my upcoming class, you’ll get to experience this delightful pairing firsthand.
Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 (16 ounce) packages sliced fresh mushrooms (any combination of mushrooms)
Pinch salt
Medium onion, diced
1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied in a bundle with kitchen twine
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 cups chicken broth, or more to taste
1 cup water, or more to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for garnish
Directions:
Assemble the ingredients.
Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms and 1 pinch salt in the melted butter until mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and mushrooms are caramelized, 15 to 25 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired.
Add onion to the mushrooms; cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir flour into the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, to remove the raw flour taste, about 2 minutes.
Add thyme bundle and garlic cloves, then pour in 4 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard thyme bundle.
Purée soup with a blender in batches until smooth and thick.
Stir in cream. If too thick, add a little chicken broth or water. Season with salt and black pepper.
Ladle into bowls, and garnish with mushroom slices and thyme leaves.
Enjoy!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Cream of mushroom soup is a real treat when done from scratch and yours paired with the wine must be delicious.
Susan Sevig
I can’t wait to try this soup AND the wine. Wish I lived closer, I’d be there. By the way, we have spent some good times in the Dordogne.
Velva Knapp
Susan, if you make the soup and pair with a merlot please let me know what you think. I wished we lived closer too.
Rick Oppenheim
Question: is that two 16-ounce packages of mushrooms (two pounds total) or two packages totaling 16 ozs (8ozs each)?
Velva Knapp
Rick, it is 2-16 ounce packages of mushrooms equaling two pounds total.
Shirley L. McFadden
This soup looks fabulous!
David Scott Allen
Cream of mushroom soup was always my favorite as a youngster. Whenever my parents would take us out to dinner, that was what I would order. I look forward to trying your recipe, Velva!
jeanie
This looks just fantastic, Velva. And I agree with you about a good Merlot. Always delicious! Saving this one for our cold winter days!
Eha Carr
Your mushroom soup looks delightfully rich and unctuous . . . here in Australia we are lucky to have a large choice of Asian mushrooms as well as the ones known in the Western world – so it truly is a mix-and-match situation . . . actually I love growing my own mushrooms during the cooler months of the year March – October . . . cartons of mushroom compost are so easily available to keep in the darker part of the house to pick the amount at the size you want at any time . . .
Velva Knapp
Eha, I love you are growing your own mushrooms. No doubt they are incredibly flavorful and delicious.
Eha Carr
From early autumn to spring we in Australia can buy mushroom growing boxes from most garden centres, hardware stores and some supermarket chains – I love them because you can pick however much you need at whatever size you want and use them five minutes later! In average use one box lasts about 4-6 weeks – if some grow too large you simply pick and stick them in the fridge in a paper bag 🙂 !
Pam
This is delicious!
Pauline McNee
Your mushroom soup looks so very good. A mushroom soup embodying French flavours is always going to be a winner.
Barb
We were having a winter storm of ice and snow yesterday, so I made this mushroom soup for supper. It was absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Velva Knapp
Your comment made me smile. I am happy you enjoyed the soup.
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
I love a delicious mushroom soup, and this recipe sounds so amazing, Velva. I so wish that I could attend one of your classes! Do you have a schedule/calendar? Being retired now means the freedom to go when I want! Plus, I need to learn so much more about wine and pairing it correctly with the right food. I have a LOT to learn. I’m sure that you are an incredible instructor!!!
Happy New Year!
Roz xo
Alfreda James
This soup looks delicious and it’s easy to prepare.
sherry
i do love a mushroom soup. So warming and delicious. I have a good Irish version; I must make it again. Better wait till this hot and humid summer ends first :=)
cheers
sherry
Susan
It’s definitely soup season in Wisconsin! We love a good mushroom soup and this recipe looks very similar to the one I use from an old Junior Leage Cookbook. Happy New Year, Velva!
Mimi Rippee
This looks fabulous! Nice and simple. My husband doesn’t like mushrooms.
Raymund
I so love this, mushroom soup is my favourite of all time and you recipe looks heavenly, cant wait to try it. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Thistles and Kiwis
Looks lovely!
judee
I am quite a fan of mushrooms and this soup is rich, creamy, and looks delicious. Happy New Year!
2pots2cook
Oh boy! You got me with Merlot! This is a great idea to surprise my guests next time! I wish you have happy 2025.!
Nikki - Notes of Life
Sounds delicious!