Creamy Mushroom Bisque (Printable)

Velvety soup featuring mixed wild mushrooms, aromatic sauté, and a silky cream base for a comforting dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Mushrooms

01 - 1 lb mixed wild mushrooms (chanterelle, cremini, shiitake), cleaned and sliced

→ Aromatics

02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small leek, white part only, sliced

→ Liquids

06 - 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
07 - ½ cup dry white wine
08 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
10 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - ½ tsp sea salt, or to taste
12 - Pinch ground nutmeg

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
14 - Drizzle of truffle oil

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and garlic; sauté gently until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes without browning.
02 - Add mushrooms and thyme to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release moisture and begin to brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
03 - Pour in white wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bottom to lift browned bits.
04 - Add stock, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully puree in batches using a standard blender.
06 - Return soup to low heat, stir in heavy cream, and warm gently without boiling. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh herbs and a drizzle of truffle oil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it when you've barely spent an hour in the kitchen.
  • Wild mushrooms transform into something almost silky, and that earthiness balanced with cream feels like a small luxury on any weeknight.
  • The recipe forgives small mistakes—if you over-reduce the wine or the cream isn't perfectly warm, it still turns out beautifully.
02 -
  • The cream must be cold when you stir it in and the heat low, or it can split and turn grainy—learned this the hard way once and had to start again.
  • Don't skip the 20-minute simmer; that's when the mushrooms truly give themselves to the stock and the flavors become unified.
  • If your soup ever seems thin, that's fine—blend it longer, and the starch in the vegetables will help it thicken naturally.
03 -
  • Keep the heat gentle in the final step—a boiling cream-based soup can break and separate, turning grainy instead of silky.
  • Taste as you go, especially with the salt. Stock already contains salt, so you might need less than you think, and it's always easier to add than to fix.
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