Soup is super, especially during cold seasons like fall and winter. With a warm bowl of soup, chilly days won’t seem as dreary and you can easily perk up even if the weather makes you want to stay in bed all day long.

For those cold, lazy days, a bowl of creamy Thyme and Mushroom Soup is a must. This recipe is guaranteed to brighten up your mood in just a few spoonfuls!

As harvests from the earth, mushroom and thyme naturally have a hearty, earthy flavor that evokes a vision of forest campfires and dinners under starry skies. Let’s not forget that minty, floral, and slightly lemony zest from thyme that reminds us of how nature’s bounty can be small but full of surprises. Since mushrooms are mildly sweet and have a taste that resembles gamey meat, they’re often used as substitutes for actual meat, which thyme pairs perfectly with.

The key to making creamy Thyme and Mushroom Soup irresistible is the caramelization of the mushrooms. Adding in chicken broth (or vegetable broth for those who want a vegetarian dish) balances out the strong flavor of mushrooms and thyme. Combined with heavy whipping cream, the broth gives the soup a delightful texture that isn’t too thick or too runny.

Even if you’re not going camping anytime soon, you can still enjoy this recipe for creamy mushroom and thyme soup as a starter for dinner parties (there’s a lot of that during fall and winter!). If you can’t wait for the evening to indulge in this soup, you can also serve it for lunch with bread and a salad on the side.

Turn your chilly days into one reminiscent of summer when you enjoy a bowlful of Thyme and Mushroom Soup!

Thyme and Mushroom Soup

This earthy Thyme and Mushroom soup is a cinch to make and will warm you on a chilly day.

• Author: Norann Oleson
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6
• Category: Soups

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 pounds sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 pinch salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with a pinch of salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired.
2. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
3. Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves.
4. Pour chicken (or vegetable) stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
5. Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick. Or, use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot.
6. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices and a few thyme leaves.

Notes

• The key to the flavor is caramelization of the mushrooms—plus the addition of fresh thyme. Serve this soup as a starter for a dinner party or as a light but satisfying lunch with bread and a side salad. Warning: once you taste it, you may want to keep it all to yourself!

If you’ve never grown thyme, or have only grown one kind, you’re missing out on one of the most versatile and easy-to-grow herbs in the garden. With our It’s About Thyme Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile herb.

Have you tried this recipe? It’s so easy and will fill you up from fall through winter. Please tell us how it turned out for you.