Cream of Mushroom Soup
This cream of mushroom soup is a velvety, blended vegetable soup built on button mushrooms, celery root, parsley root and potato, finished with a swirl of sour cream and served with crisp garlic-and-thyme baguette croutons. It comes together in about half an hour, with a deep, earthy flavor that tastes far more involved than the short ingredient list suggests. Make it when you want something warm, comforting and quietly impressive without standing over the stove all afternoon.
Being a big lover of creamy soups and mushrooms alike, this recipe is just perfect for me. Like all the other cream soups I have prepared, this one is extremely easy to make, and I keep coming back to it whenever I want a bowl that feels cozy and a little special at the same time.
What goes into this soup
The flavor here comes from a simple but well-chosen mix of vegetables rather than from a heavy roux or stock cubes. Each one earns its place:
- Button mushrooms are the star, giving the soup its earthy, savory backbone. Cut them in chunks with the stems removed so they blend smoothly.
- Celery root and parsley root add a gentle, aromatic sweetness and depth that a plain mushroom soup often lacks. They are what make this one taste rounded rather than flat.
- Potato does the quiet work of body and creaminess. Once blended, its starch gives the soup a naturally thick, velvety texture without any flour.
- Onion, salt and pepper season the base as it simmers.
- Sour cream, yoghurt or kefir is stirred in at the end to soften the color and add a tangy richness. I used homemade kefir, but this is optional, so leave it out for a lighter, fully plant-based bowl.
- Baguette, olive oil, garlic and thyme become the croutons that turn a simple soup into a proper meal.
How to make it creamy without flour or cream base
Bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil, then add the chunked celery root, parsley root, onion and potato with salt and pepper. Let everything boil for about 15 minutes before adding the mushrooms, then simmer for another 10 minutes and remove from the heat. The staggered timing matters: the root vegetables and potato need longer to turn tender, while the mushrooms only need enough time to soften and release their flavor.
Once the pot is off the heat, blend it well with an immersion blender until completely smooth and creamy. That blended potato and root vegetable is what gives you a thick, spoon-coating soup with no flour, no roux and no cream base. If you want it whiter and a touch tangy, stir in some yoghurt or sour cream at this point.
Garlic and thyme croutons that make the bowl
While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the baguette, brush each slice with a little olive oil, top with mashed garlic and sprinkle with thyme and salt. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the slices are crisp and golden at the edges. Brushing with oil and toasting in a hot oven is what gives you that shatter-crisp surface; the garlic mellows and the thyme turns fragrant as they bake.
Tips for the best results
- Blend longer than you think. A full minute or two with the immersion blender is the difference between a slightly grainy soup and a truly silky one.
- Taste before serving. Root vegetables vary in sweetness, so check the salt and pepper after blending and adjust.
- Add the dairy off the heat. Stir yoghurt or kefir in once the soup has stopped boiling so it stays smooth and does not split.
- Want it richer? A splash more sour cream gives a paler, more indulgent bowl; skip it entirely for a clean, vegetable-forward flavor.
- Time the croutons to come out of the oven just as you finish blending so they go in still warm and crisp.
Storing, reheating and what to serve alongside
This soup keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and the flavor often deepens by the next day. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, stirring now and then; it may thicken in the fridge, so loosen it with a little water if needed. If you plan to freeze it, do so before adding any dairy and stir in the yoghurt or sour cream fresh after reheating, since dairy can separate once frozen. Toast the croutons fresh whenever you serve, as they soften if stored with the soup.
It makes a lovely light meal on its own with the garlic-thyme baguette, but it also pairs beautifully alongside other vegetable soups and mushroom dishes if you are building a bigger spread. If you love this style, try my cream of potato and carrot soup or creamy peas soup for more blended comfort, and turn to stuffed portobello mushrooms when you want mushrooms as the main event. For more ideas, I also recommend my mushroom mix soup, mushroom pancakes and mushroom curry.
If you make this cream of mushroom soup, I would love to know how it turned out. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below telling me whether you went the kefir route like I do or kept it dairy-free, and how crisp you managed to get those garlic-thyme croutons.
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Cream of Mushroom Soup with Thyme
Ingredients
- 1,5 L water
- 1 celery root medium, peeled and cut in chunks
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 350 g button mushrooms cut in chunks, stems removed
- 1 potato peeled and cut in chunks
- 1 parsley root cut in chunks
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
- 6 Tbsp sour cream yoghurt – optional (I used homemade kefir)
- parsley for garnish
For baguettes:
- 1 baguette sliced
- thyme
- 4 cloves garlic mashed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- alt
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add celery and parsley root, onion, potato – all cut in chunks.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Let them boil for about 15 minutes then add the mushrooms, cut in chunks.
- Boil for another 10 minutes and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 400 F.
- Slice the baguette and brush each slice with some olive oil. Add some mashed garlic cloves on top of each slice and sprinkle with thyme and salt.
- Bake them for 15 minutes or until they’re crisp.
- Now let’s get back to the soup. Using a vertical blender, blend well until creamy. Add some yoghurt or sour cream if you want to make it whiter.
- Serve with parsley, sour cream and crisp baguette!
Frequently Asked Questions
As written it is vegetarian, because it is finished with sour cream, yoghurt or kefir. However, the dairy is optional and only stirred in at the end for color and tang, so you can leave it out completely for a fully vegan, plant-based soup. The soup base and the olive-oil croutons are already dairy-free.
The creaminess comes from a peeled potato simmered with the mushrooms and root vegetables, then blended smooth. The potato’s starch thickens the soup naturally, so you do not need any flour, roux or heavy cream. Blending well with an immersion blender is the key step for a silky texture.
This recipe uses button mushrooms, which give a mild, earthy flavor and blend into a smooth cream. Cut them in chunks and remove the stems before cooking. You can swap in or add other fresh mushrooms for a deeper taste, but button mushrooms are reliable and easy to find.
Yes. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and often tastes even better the next day. Reheat it gently on the stovetop and loosen with a little water if it has thickened. Stir in the dairy and toast the croutons fresh when you serve.
Freeze the soup before adding any dairy, since sour cream, yoghurt and kefir can separate once frozen and reheated. Thaw and reheat the plain blended base, then stir in fresh yoghurt or sour cream off the heat. Always make the garlic-thyme croutons fresh rather than freezing them.
The garlic and thyme baguette croutons baked alongside this soup make it a satisfying light meal on their own. For a bigger spread, serve it with other blended soups like cream of potato and carrot, or pair it with a mushroom main such as stuffed portobello mushrooms. A simple green salad also rounds it out nicely.
Great idea with the garlic bread!
Made this soup yesterday and I must say that the baguettes really make a difference. So simple and flavorful! Thanks!
Glad you liked the recipe! You’re welcome!
Want to try this recipe however have never seen or heard of parsley root.Can I just use parsley? I also think that maybe cashew “sour cream ” will be good to make it wholly plant based. Thank you!
Parsley root is parsnip. You can skip it or use some celeriac instead. The cashew sour cream idea is great! 😀
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Thank you! 😀
I love creamy soups too! I’ll try this! Thanks!
Really dislike tomatoes, like margarita pizza’s and ketchup though
There are no tomatoes in this recipe.. 😉
Thank you! It was the first time I made and ate mushroom soup and I fell in love with this dish 🙂
Mmm, I love creamy mushroom soup! And portobellos make it even better, yum!
This looks so delicious!