Soups & stews / Chowders & creamy soups
Cream of Mushroom Soup with Sherry
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Mushrooms browned in two batches until the whole kitchen smells like autumn, then sherry, cream and a soup blended only halfway. Bring a pot to someone who needs it and watch the bowl empty.
The short version
Brown 1½ pounds of mushrooms in two batches, cook down the onion, deglaze with sherry, stir in flour and stock, and simmer 10 minutes. Blend half, add cream, and finish with a squeeze of lemon. About 45 minutes.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Brown the mushrooms in two batches. Mushrooms are mostly water. Give them room and let it cook off, and they brown and taste meaty. Crowd them, and they steam and taste like nothing.
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Deglaze with dry sherry. A splash of sherry lifts the browned bits off the pot and adds a nutty edge that goes beautifully with mushrooms.
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Blend only half. Pureeing half makes it creamy, and leaving the other half whole gives you real mushroom pieces in every spoonful.
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Finish with lemon juice. A teaspoon brightens the whole pot so cream doesn't weigh it down.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- Unsalted butter4 tablespoons
- Cremini mushrooms1½ pounds
- Yellow onion1 medium
- Garlic3 cloves
- Dry sherry⅓ cup
- Fresh thyme leaves1 teaspoon
- Dijon mustard1 teaspoon
- Heavy cream¾ cup
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Brown the first batch
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer with a pinch of salt. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and cook until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are deep brown, 8 to 10 minutes total. Move them to a bowl.
Don't salt the whole batch up front. A pinch helps draw out water, but too much early on keeps them from browning.
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Brown the second batch
Add another tablespoon of butter and brown the rest of the mushrooms the same way. Leave them in the pot when they're done.
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Cook the onion and garlic
Return the first batch to the pot and lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the onion. Cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
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Deglaze
Pour in the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, until the smell of alcohol fades and the liquid has nearly disappeared.
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Add flour and stock
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring so no lumps form. Add the thyme, mustard, pepper and the remaining salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 10 minutes.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Blend half
Remove the pot from the heat. Ladle about half of the soup into a blender, filling it no more than halfway, and blend until smooth. Or use an immersion blender and pulse about half the pot. Return everything to the pot.
Hot soup expands in a blender. Vent the lid with a towel over it, and never fill past the halfway mark.
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Add cream and finish
Stir in the cream and warm the soup over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes without letting it boil. Add the lemon juice, then taste and add salt or more lemon as needed. Serve hot, topped with parsley or chives.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Any mushroom works. Cremini give the best flavor for the price. A mix with some shiitake caps (stems removed) adds more depth.
- To skip the dairy, use 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk. Half-and-half works too, but the soup is thinner and a bit less rich.
- A loose, light soup? Use 3½ cups of stock. Thicker? Blend more than half.
- Storage. Fridge, 4 days. Freezer, 2 months, though the cream may separate slightly; whisk while reheating gently on the stove and don't let it boil.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Can I use canned cream of mushroom soup instead of this recipe in casseroles?
Yes. Use about 1¼ cups of this soup, chilled so it's thick, in place of one 10.5-ounce can, and skip any extra water the recipe adds with the can.
Why is my mushroom soup watery or gray?
Mushrooms were crowded in the pot and steamed instead of browning. Cook them in two batches until the liquid evaporates and they turn dark golden. That color becomes the soup's flavor.
Can I make cream of mushroom soup without flour?
Yes. Skip the flour and blend most of the soup so the mushrooms thicken it. Or stir a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water into the simmering soup.
Which mushrooms are best for cream of mushroom soup?
Cremini are the best all-around choice. White button mushrooms work but taste milder. Add a few shiitake caps or dried porcini, soaked, for more earthy flavor.
Can I make cream of mushroom soup ahead?
Yes. Make it through the blending step and refrigerate it up to 4 days. Add the cream when you reheat so it stays smooth.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 29, 2026.