Easy Mushroom Soup Without Cream (One Pot)
A creamy mushroom soup without cream, milk, butter, or flour. Browned cremini mushrooms, potato, onion, garlic, and thyme create a savory one-pot soup with an adjustable texture.
Equipment
- Wide heavy pot or Dutch oven
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Wooden Spoon
- Immersion blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Food thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms cleaned and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 small Yukon Gold potato about 6 ounces, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth plus more to adjust consistency
- ½ teaspoon fine salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- Optional Garnish Fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for about 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until their released liquid evaporates and some edges begin to brown. If the pot is narrow, cook the mushrooms in batches; this may take longer.
- Reserve about ¼ cup of browned mushroom slices for serving. Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced potato, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer partially covered for about 15–18 minutes, until the potato cubes are fork-tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, keeping the blade submerged. Stop when the broth is creamy but some mushroom pieces remain. Avoid prolonged blending.
- Stir and taste. Adjust the salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add extra broth a few tablespoons at a time.
- Warm gently if needed. Divide among four bowls and top with the reserved mushrooms and optional fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
Timing: Cooking time varies with the width of your pot and how quickly the mushroom liquid evaporates.
Mushrooms: White button mushrooms can replace cremini in the same quantity.
Texture: Blend gradually. Prolonged blending can make the potato texture gummy.
Countertop blender: Let the soup cool slightly and follow the appliance’s hot-liquid instructions. Work in small batches. Never blend hot soup in a sealed personal blender.
Vegan: Use vegetable broth labeled vegan.
Gluten-free: Check all packaged ingredient labels and serve with gluten-free bread if needed.
Storage: Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers and use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), adding broth if needed.
Serving size: One-quarter of the finished recipe. Bread and other accompaniments are separate.