Cream of Mushroom Soup

I honestly didn’t think I’d be sharing this recipe. I made it as a means to an end, because I had another recipe that called for cream of mushroom soup as an ingredient (more on that later). This recipe looked like my best-tasting option and made a lot more than I needed, so I decided to serve it for lunch. And lo and behold, my kids REALLY LIKED it. They BOTH asked for seconds! So, here it is, a way to get your kids to enjoy mushrooms.

I made a lactose-free version. The onions, garlic and herbs give it flavor, but don’t be afraid to really cook down the mushrooms. They basically can’t be overcooked (unless they get burnt on heat that is too high, but they can’t cook too long is my point). This would be great served with garlic bread!

4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ lbs. (750 g) fresh brown or cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided
½ cup Marsala wine (any dry red or white wine, really)
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 or 2 tsp salt, to taste (I used less because my broth was salted)
½ to 1 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled (I used beef bouillon paste)
1 cup lactose-free cream or half-and-half (I used evaporated soy milk)
chopped fresh thyme and parsley, to serve

Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 2 or 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add mushrooms and 2 teaspoons thyme; cook for 5 minutes (or more; see note above). Pour in wine and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, mix again, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, season with salt and pepper, and add crumbled bouillon cubes.

Cover and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Reduce heat to low, stir in cream, and allow to gently simmer (do not boil, or the cream might curdle). Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

At this point, my soup was not looking as good as the original, and moreover, I felt like it wasn’t really a cream of mushroom soup. I could have added a cornstarch slurry, but I instead decided to use my stick blender to blitz everything together.

Mix in parsley and remaining thyme and serve.