Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe

5 from 5 votes

This creamy mushroom soup is rich, hearty, and loaded with flavor! Packed with mushrooms, veggies, and tender farro, it’s the ultimate cozy meal—especially when paired with warm, buttery bread.

Prep Time35

Cook Time45

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Healthy, Vegetarian

Keyword: creamy mushroom soup, Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $10.12

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup pearled farro see note 1
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
2 cups finely diced yellow onion 2 onions
2 cups diced carrots peeled; 1/2-inch, 4 to 5 carrots
2 cups diced celery 1/2-inch, 4 to 5 stalks
1 (8-ounce) package baby bella mushrooms sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth or chicken broth/stock, 4 cups; see note 2
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk or 2%
Optional additions see note 3

US - Metric

Instructions

Thoroughly rinse farro in a sieve or strainer under cool water. Shake off excess water and let stand in the strainer to dry until ready to use. Very finely dice onion, peel and cut carrots to 1/2-inch pieces, cut celery to 1/2-inch pieces, slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Mince garlic.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted, add onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Season to taste preference (I add 1-3/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper). Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are softened and onion is beginning to turn golden, 6–8 minutes.
Add Italian seasoning, thyme, sage, and rinsed farro. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add in bay leaf and all the broth/stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. (The soup should be slightly bubbling, but not rapidly boiling/bubbling.) Simmer, uncovered, for 30–35 minutes or until farro is cooked through and veggies are tender. (Farro has a lovely chewiness but shouldn’t have a hard center.)
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking vigorously until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, then remove from heat.
Once farro is tender, pour the creamy milk mixture into the soup and stir. Taste, adjusting seasonings to preference. (I love this soup super thick and creamy, but add a splash more milk to thin it to desired consistency.) Stir in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar if using. Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan and fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy with hearty buttered bread!

Video

Notes

Note 1: I love this brand and this brand of farro. The important thing is to use pearled farro; this means the bran has been removed and it’ll need less cooking time than whole farro. Whole farro will also absorb too much liquid in this soup.

Note 2: If you aren’t vegetarian, use a good chicken stock/broth. (I love Swanson® chicken stock best!) For a vegetarian soup, stick to vegetable stock or broth.

Note 3: Optional additions: 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, hearty bread for dunking, and fresh herbs (thyme or parsley).

Storage: This soup is best enjoyed within 3 days. Farro will continue to soak up surrounding liquid as it’s stored. I recommend reheating on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. Add a splash more milk or broth as needed to thin.

Nutrition