Original recipe by Rita Held, Adapted by RecipeRose Just four ingredients make this soup an…
Sherry (or Vermouth) Creamy Mushroom Soup
Did you know dry vermouth can substitute for sherry wine? I didn’t have any sherry, so looked for a substitute and was delighted to find that my multiple (inherited) bottles of dry vermouth could work! My friend Rita created this delectable soup that’s as easy as it is delicious — a mushroom-lovers delight and fairly low fat. Conveniently, it can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated.
Brown-capped crimini mushrooms lend an earthy flavor and inviting, warm color. These mushrooms are also called baby bellas, or sometimes portabellinis, because they are young, smaller versions of more mature portabella mushrooms. I used both cremini and shiitake mushrooms for extra mushroom flavor. More about mushrooms below recipe.
If you have carrot or fennel tops looking for good use, stir in some chopped leaves just before serving.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Wine adds rich flavor, and a dash of soy sauce amps the mushroom umami.
Servings: 6 3/4-cup servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cremini or baby bella mushrooms, or combination of a variety of mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 3/4 cup sliced leek or chopped onion
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 2/3 cup dry vermouth or sherry, or cooking sherry cooking wine has salt, so adjust salt or soy sauce accordingly if using
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk or 2% milk
- 1 14.5oz. can reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (1-3/4 cups)
- 2-3 tsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme or sage
- ground white or black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, dill, carrot tops or fennel fronds, optional
Instructions
- Wipe mushroom caps with a damp cloth. Trim stem ends and discard; roughly chop the caps.
- In a 6-quart pot, melt butter. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, and choice of wine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes or until most, but not all, of the sherry is absorbed.
- Sprinkle flour over mushrooms; stir in milk, broth, soy sauce and thyme or sage. Bring to a low boil, then immediately reduce heat. Simmer gently 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove soup from heat. Leave the soup chunky or use an immersion blender to puree. Alternatively, pour into a blender in small batches, blending very slowly if mixture is hot; blend until smooth and return to pot to keep warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in about half the chopped herb and garnish servings with remaining.
Notes
From the Mushroom Council, San Francisco Bay Area
Crimini Mushrooms are grown and harvested in the same manner as the white mushroom. The reason they have a darker color and slightly denser texture is that they come from a different strain of spores. Portabella Mushrooms are also grown like white mushrooms. Actually, the Portabella is a mature Crimini. It’s usually three to seven days older than the Crimini when harvested. As a result, Portabellas develop much larger caps-ranging up to six inches in diameter.
Crimini Mushrooms are grown and harvested in the same manner as the white mushroom. The reason they have a darker color and slightly denser texture is that they come from a different strain of spores. Portabella Mushrooms are also grown like white mushrooms. Actually, the Portabella is a mature Crimini. It’s usually three to seven days older than the Crimini when harvested. As a result, Portabellas develop much larger caps-ranging up to six inches in diameter.
Nutrition information per serving (8) with cooking wine and reduced-sodium chicken broth: 120 calories, 5g protein, 11g carb, 6g fat, (3.5g sat. fat), 15mg chol, 290mg sodium,<1g fiber
Sherry and mushrooms is a perfect marriage! And your photo is just lovely. I makes me want to jump right into the photo and have that soup.
humm… if not too hot, a plunge may be good for your skin :o)
A spa treatment!! Just what I need after the holidays and all the dry air here in the mountains!
Wonderful! I added fresh thyme and dried dill, plus some smoked sea salt to garnish. Perfect soup for a treat, or entertaining, try it!
Hi Miranda – So sorry for very delayed reply as I’m just now seeing your comment. I’m so glad you liked the mushroom soup and the smoked salt and herbs sound delicious! Thanks for letting me know.
I would probably not use flour. One potato did the job.
I also used coriander instead if other herbs. Just because I love coriander
Very interesting about different mushrooms….
Potato is a great idea and I like the coriander too. Fun to mix it up and make new flavors. Thanks for your comment!
I added about a quarter cup of carrots that I needed to get rid of used half-and-half for a portion of the milk I wasn’t sure about cooking the chopped vegetables in the sherry. I would think that you should sauté them first and then add the sherry, but it came out with some of the vegetables, kind of crunchy, which was awesome
Wow, thank you for this awesome sounding adaptation! It’s so fun to modify a recipe to make it your own.