Mushroom Bisque

5 from 1 vote

This creamy wild mushroom bisque is perhaps my new favorite soup! It is packed with umami-rich flavor from the mushrooms, thyme, and a couple of secret flavor-packed ingredients! It's easy to make and goes with so many different dishes to create satisfying meals.

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 43

Servings

Calories 270kcal

Author Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 small yellow onion
1 teaspoon fine salt divided, more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic
3-6 sprigs fresh thyme 1 teaspoon leaves
4 cups sliced mixed mushrooms about 12 ounces
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
4 ounces cream cheese softened (room temperature)
1 teaspoon soy sauce GF, tamari, or any
Optional: chopped chives and thinned out yogurt for garnish and bread for serving

Instructions

Prepare your vegetables. Chop the onion into a small dice. This will be blended later, so it doesn’t need to be perfect. Peel and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Remove hard woody stems and finely chop the thyme leaves. Clean the mushrooms and slice them into ¼th inch slices.
Bring a medium-large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and the butter, then add the diced onion. Add a pinch of salt and sauté onions until fragrant and becoming a bit translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, thyme, and sliced mushrooms, along with several additional pinches of salt and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Sauté for about 10-15 minutes, until the moisture from the mushrooms has been released and has evaporated and the mushrooms have developed a bit of browning. If needed, add a splash of broth or water to deglaze the pan, then add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine.
Remove about ¼ cup of mushrooms and set aside (we will brown these and use as a topping!).
Sprinkle the arrowroot flour over the remaining mushrooms in the pot and stir to distribute evenly.
Add 4 cups broth, along with the bay leaf. Stir to loosen the mushrooms. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce to a high simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about ¼th. Then remove the bay leaf and discard.
In a small bowl, add the cream cheese. Scoop out a bit of the warm broth from the pot and add to the cream cheese. Stir well to combine thoroughly. This helps it to blend into the soup better. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pot.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until mostly smooth. (Feel free to use a stand blender instead.)
In a separate skillet over medium heat, add the reserved mushroom mixture. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes, or until the mushrooms develop some color and texture. Stir in 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and immediately remove from heat. This will be your topping!
Spoon the blended mushroom soup into bowls and top with the reserved mushrooms. Optionally, finely chop a few chives for topping, and thin out 1-2 Tablespoons of yogurt with water to drizzle onto the finished soup. Serve with your favorite crusty bread and enjoy!

Notes

Be sure to check the full post for more ingredient tips, serving suggestions, how to store, cooking tips, and more!

I used a mix of 3 types of mushrooms - cremini, shiitake, and wild Estonian chanterelles. Feel free to use any mushrooms you’ve got, but if using mostly white button mushrooms, I would try to use at least 1 cup of wild or shiitake mushrooms for the richest mushroom flavor.
Feel free to use cornstarch or regular flour in place of the arrowroot flour.
If using a high-speed blender, there’s no need to melt the cream cheese into the broth ahead of time. It will blend fully in a high-speed blender.
I have also tested this recipe with cashew cream instead of cream cheese and it was delicious! To use cashew cream, I recommend soaking ½ cup of cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, then blend with ½ cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar until smooth. Stir into the soup after it has been blended. I have not tried this with hemp cream or coconut milk, but I think they would also work for dairy-free/nut-free options.

To make this Dairy-Free:

Use vegan butter and replace the cream cheese with cashew cream! Soak a ½ cup of cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. After soaking, drain off the water and then blend the cashews with ½ a cup of cup fresh water, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar until smooth.
I have not tried this with hemp cream or coconut milk, but I think they would also work as nut-free options to make a dairy-free cream of mushroom soup.

Nutrition: just a reminder that nutrient numbers and the below nutritional label is just an estimate.

Nutrition