American · main

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup reads richness 5.0, umami 5.0 and allium 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 1 hr 5 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 4.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.0 · Umami 5.0 · Allium 4.4 · Earthy 4.0 · Salinity 3.5 · Sweetness 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Nutty 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Fruity 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Funk & Ferment 0.9 · Floral 0.9 · Sourness 0.9 · Citrus 0.8 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (16)

• fresh mushrooms — 28 g
• water — 473 g
• unsalted butter — 54 g
• cremini mushrooms — 454 g
• shiitake mushrooms — 227 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 9 g
• all-purpose flour — 15 g
• dry sherry — 59 g
• low-sodium beef broth — 946 g
• thyme — 2 g
• bay — 2 g
• heavy cream — 237 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• chives — 7 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 5 min (45 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 47.3 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 5 g fat, 3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. In a heatproof bowl, combine the dried porcini and boiling water; let steep until softened, about 20 minutes. Lift the porcini out with a fork, chop finely, and set aside; strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding any grit, and reserve.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden brown and any liquid they release has evaporated, 10-12 minutes.
3. Push the mushrooms to one side of the pot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the onion to the cleared space, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
5. Pour in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in the vegetable broth, reserved porcini soaking liquid, chopped porcini, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until slightly thickened, 20-25 minutes.
7. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Puree about half the soup with an immersion blender directly in the pot (or in batches in a stand blender) until smooth, so the soup is thick but still has mushroom pieces throughout.
8. Stir in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper; warm gently over low heat until heated through, 3-4 minutes — do not let it boil, or the cream may separate.
9. Taste and adjust the salt. Ladle into bowls and finish with a scatter of fresh chives.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pyzy — Polish
• Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Butter Crust — American
• Veggie-Packed Skillet Lasagna — Italian-American
• Vegetarian Moussaka with Lentils — Greek
• Mushroom Marsala Pasta — Italian-American

Keep reading: what richness, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.