Double Mushroom Soup

People often ask me what’s my favorite thing to make and that’s impossible to say definitively, although I’m always happy to make soup. This one is a keeper, for sure. The silky-smooth soup is rich with deep, earthy mushroom flavor from both fresh and dried mushrooms. The roasted mushroom medley on top, texture and even more mushroom flavor. Roasting mushrooms is a great technique for concentrating their flavor and preserving their texture. The dry heat ensures they won’t turn soggy, which sometimes happens on the stovetop.  

The soup and topping taste best when made with a medley of mushrooms that can include both foraged and/or cultivated varieties. The recent surge in mushroom popularity makes it easier for us to find interesting mushrooms in our local farmers’ markets and grocery stores. I sort through my mushroom purchases and use the prettiest ones in the topping since those in the soup are pureed.  

Makes 1 1/2 quarts 

Roasted Mushroom Topping Ingredients  

• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, preferably a medley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 large thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Soup Ingredients  

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups diced onion, about 1 medium onion
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic, about 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, preferably a medley
• 1/2 cup Madeira or dry sherry
• 3 tablespoons double-concentrate tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 large thyme sprigs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper

Sour Cream Topping Ingredients  

• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

For the roasted mushroom topping:  

Heat the oven to 375°F.  

Discard any tough stems and cut or tear the mushrooms into large bite-size pieces. Place them in a bowl and add the soy sauce, oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer the mushrooms to a parchment-lined sheet pan and spread evenly. Tuck the thyme sprigs among the mushrooms. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and continue to cook until browned, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, add the thyme leaves and toss to combine. Set aside until ready to use. 

For the soup:  

Place the dried porcini in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside to steep for 20 minutes. Lift out the rehydrated mushrooms and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer, lined with a paper coffee filter or paper towel and set over a small bowl or measuring cup. Reserve for later use. 

Discard any tough stems from the fresh mushrooms and cut or tear into 1-inch pieces. Set aside until ready to use. 

Place 3 tablespoons of butter in a 6-quart Dutch oven or saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and salt, and stir to combine. Cook until the onions soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds. 

Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they darken in color and begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Push the mushrooms to the sides of the pot and add the remaining butter in the cleared space. Add the tomato paste to the butter and stir until sizzling, and then stir to coat the mushroom mixture. 

Add the Madeira, stir to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle the flour and paprika over the mushrooms and stir to coat. Add the stock, soy sauce, and strained porcini soaking liquid and stir to combine. Add the rehydrated porcini, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a simmer. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the mushrooms are tender when poked with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf. Set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before pureeing.  

Transfer the soup in batches to a blender, avoiding filling the blender more than halfway at a time, and puree until smooth. Or puree directly in the pot with an immersion blender. If using a blender, return the pureed soup to the pot. Add the cream and lemon juice. Season generously with freshly ground pepper and taste for salt. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside. 

For the sour cream topping:  

Place the sour cream and lemon zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Serve the soup warm, garnished with the roasted mushroom and sour cream toppings. 

©Copyright 2024 Sheri Castle  

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.