Creamy Mushroom Soup

Cozy mushroom soup with thick cut bacon crutons! This is such an easy soup and you can really make it fun with garnishes. Regular old button mushrooms work great but you can add shiitake, cremini, oyster, porcini, etc. for added flavor. To see a video, look at my story highlights on my Instagram.

You can make it vegan by using only olive oil to sauté the veggies and skipping any cream.

Creamy Muahroom Soup

• 1 large yellow or white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 2 - 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 8 cups cleaned and sliced mushrooms (baby Bella, crimini, button, oyster or whatever mix you like)
• 1/4 cup white wine, sherry, cognac or brandy 
• 4 cups chicken or veg stock
• 1/2 cup cream or half n half (optional)
• Bacon pieces to garnish (optional)

1. In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic, celery, and thyme in butter or oil. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Sauté until onions get a little golden on the edges, 5-10 minutes.⁣⁣
3. Add cleaned and sliced mushrooms and sauté 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often. 
4. Deglaze with white wine or other alcohol. Stir to scrape any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Lots of flavor there!! ⁣⁣If you want to garnish the finished soup with some mushrooms, remove a few now and set aside. 
5. Once wine is mostly evaporated, add chicken or veg stock. 
6. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar and cook another 20 minutes. 
7. Let it cool a bit and purée to desired consistency in a blender or with a stick blender.  
8. Finish with cream or half n half if desired and a drizzle of olive oil and reserved mushrooms and or bacon.