The cold of winter will soon be setting in, which means that it’s time to embrace comfort food once again. On cold, winter nights nothing warms you up quite like a bowl of soup. Winter comfort foods bring added coziness to your home in the evenings. When it comes to comfort foods, few would disagree that nothing beats mushroom soup. Through the years I’ve tried many variations on mushroom soup recipes. 

Eventually, I came up with my own that I’ve been cooking to warm up on cold winter nights. It is healthy, comforting, and falls in line with the hygge lifestyle.

Related Reads:

How To Practice the Hygge Lifestyle During Pandemic 

How to Make Your Home Feel Cozier This Winter With Hygge Décor

This mushroom soup recipe quickly became one of my family favorites, and I’d like to share it with everyone. I hope you will like it too.

Health Benefits of Mushrooms

But first, let’s mention some of the health benefits of mushrooms.

Mushrooms are good for you. They are an excellent source of fiber and protein.  Provided that the mushrooms have had sun exposure during the growth process, they can also be a good source of vitamin D.  They are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to offset the harmful effects of the free radicals which can cause cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases.

Any recipe that calls for a mushroom soup not only adds richness and creamy texture to a variety of dishes but also provides a variety of nutrients that mushrooms naturally contain. Some of them are:

Copper

Copper is instrumental in stimulating the body’s production of red cells that are crucial in delivering oxygen to all the body parts. A 1-cup serving of mushrooms can provide about one-third of the daily recommended amount of copper.

Potassium

Mushrooms are rich in potassium, especially the portobello mushroom. We know that potassium is one of the most important minerals in the body that aids the functioning of the heart, muscles, and the nervous system.

Selenium

Mushrooms contain selenium which is an antioxidant that helps to boosts the immune system.

B Vitamins

The combination of B vitamins is beneficial to the digestive systems, as well as to the skin – which is why consuming mushrooms has been linked to the prevention of skin aging, giving it a younger look.

How to Store Mushrooms Properly

When stored in the fridge, mushrooms can be good for about 4-7 days. If you’d like to keep them longer, it is a good idea to let them absorb sunlight for couple hours during the day, since they contain vitamin D.

Another way is to store them in a paper bag, which will allow them to breathe, as opposed to plastic bag which traps moisture and causes them to rot faster.

Before you make your mushroom soup or cook other recipes, you might think it is a good idea to wash them. Mushrooms tend to absorb water and might get soggier. In order to avoid the release of a slimy substance throughout the cooking processes, you can simply clean them with a paper towel prior to cooking. If you really need to wash them, then you’d better leave them to dry out completely before cooking.

How to Add More Mushrooms to Your Diet

Mushrooms are so versatile. There are many kinds of mushrooms that grow in different parts of the world. They can be sauteed, grilled, used in omelets, pasta, and soups, and they can also be used as a meat substitute. 

Some of the most common mushrooms used for cooking are button mushrooms (can be white and brown), porcini, portobello, shitake, cremini, or oyster mushrooms

Another way to enjoy mushrooms and all the health benefits they contain is to try the dried mushrooms. While fresh mushrooms offer the maximum benefits, dried mushrooms can be equally tasty and more readily available. Take for example the Italian Porcini mushrooms.

Truffle Zest

Yet another mushroom derivative I’ve recently tried is essentially a mushroom powder. It is called Truffle zest and it is a powdered spice blend made with extracts from pure black summer truffles.

 It goes perfectly well on eggs, potatoes, meat, tofu, or even on popcorn. Truffle zest can give an amazing kick to creamy soups and pasta such as the mushroom soup and Carbonara pasta. That’s why I’ve decided to include it in my mushroom soup recipe.

Disclaimer: As a participant in the Amazon Associate Program I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. 

It can also add an intriguing touch to salad dressings, all while being gluten-free, Non-GMO, with no MSG.

However, if you like foraging for mushrooms, be careful as not all mushrooms are edible. Some wild mushrooms can be toxic which can seriously upset your stomach, and even cause death, such as the Death Cap Mushroom. Be doubly careful and thorough with your checks to make sure a mushroom is safe, even seasoned mycologists have fallen prey to wild mushroom poisons.

Mushroom Soup Recipe

Here in China where I live, we are fortunate to have access to a huge variety of mushroom selections.

This mushroom soup recipe uses white button mushrooms, portobello, shitake, and oyster mushrooms.  What gives this recipe a special kick though is the truffle zest. The recipe draws inspiration from the following source.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (50g) dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup (250ml) boiling water

4 cups (500g) fresh mushroom mix, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons butter (50g) 

2 teaspoons dried dill ( french parsley or thyme are also an option)

1 tablespoon paprika (sweet or spicy)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth or bullion

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

A dash of truffle zest or truffle oil for drizzling

Instructions

Pour the boiling water over the porcini mushrooms and set aside for 30 minutes to infuse. Drain the porcini mushrooms and reserve the mushroom broth for cooking.

If you like, you could add the soaked porcini mushrooms to the soup together with the other mushrooms. If you do, please note that some porcini mushrooms tend to be a bit sandy. Even after multiple rounds of washing, the sand won’t come off. You won’t like your mushroom soup to taste sandy.

Slice the mixture of mushrooms and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture as well as the butter and fry for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.

Stir in the dill and sweet paprika of your choice. I once mixed up my pepper powders and ended up adding the wrong one- the spicy paprika. Surprisingly the mushroom soup tasted incredibly good.

So, if you like spicy don’t be afraid to use a hot spicy pepper.

Add the porcini mushroom broth as well as the chicken or vegetable broth of your choice. Reduce heat to low. Cover and then simmer for about 20 minutes.

Take a separate bowl, add the milk and whisk in the flour. Pour into the soup and stir for a couple of minutes to blend together with the rest. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Lastly stir in the sour cream, add the lemon juice and season with ground pepper. Mix together over a low heat for about 5 minutes. After this step do not boil the soup.

Remove and let the mushroom soup cool for a few minutes.

What you can do here is puree the soup with a blender for a smoother texture. This is optional though.

Pour in soup bowls. Add a dash of truffle zest or drizzle with truffle oil and garnish with parsley.

Serves: 2- 3

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: about 45 minutes

Serve with garlic bread, or even better – a loaf of warm rustic bread.

Read Next:

How to Add More Whole Grain Foods to Your Diet

Buttered Beere: A Warm Winter Drink to Keep You Cozy

Save it to Pinterest, Read Later!