Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Mushrooms
- 700 g cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
- 45 ml olive oil
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
Soup Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 750 ml vegetable broth, low sodium preferred
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. On a large baking sheet, toss the halved cremini mushrooms with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves until thoroughly coated.
Roast the mushrooms in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. They should be deeply browned and have released a significant amount of dark, savory juices. Do not drain or discard this liquid.
While the mushrooms are roasting, melt the unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and saute for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the minced garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute until highly fragrant.
Transfer the fully roasted mushrooms and every drop of their collected juices from the baking sheet into the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, leaving it slightly chunky if you prefer a rustic texture.
Stir in the heavy cream. Taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately while hot.
Chef's Notes
- Scraping the roasting pan is the most vital step of this recipe. The dark juices released by the cremini mushrooms contain concentrated glutamates that give this dish its incredible depth without relying on meat-based stocks.
- Roasting mushrooms instead of sauteing them in a pot allows for rapid moisture evaporation. This prevents the mushrooms from steaming in their own liquid, resulting in a much deeper, meatier flavor profile.
- If you want to elevate the dish further, splash 30ml of dry white wine or sherry onto the hot baking sheet immediately after removing it from the oven, using it to scrape up the fond before transferring to the pot.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Freezer: 2 months — The heavy cream may cause slight separation upon thawing; blend gently while reheating.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Do not let it boil to prevent the cream from splitting.
