Potato Mushroom Soup

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/22/22
Potato Mushroom Soup in white bowl on black background

The Spruce / Molly Watson
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
161 Calories
6g Fat
24g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 161
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 1171mg 51%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 12mg 58%
Calcium 35mg 3%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 765mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This simple mushroom soup is thickened with a bit of potato for a hearty, delicious, easy-as-pie soup with a texture that's thick enough to be filling but made so without any cream. Feel free to use any kind of mushrooms you like, whether the simple cremini or button mushrooms, or shiitake, portobello, or others. A combination of mushrooms can be especially flavorful.

Serve it with a green salad and a hunk of crusty bread for an easy, healthy dinner. With a few quick substitutions, it can also be a suitable soup for vegetarians by opting for veggie stock, and for vegans if you use veggie stock plus oil instead of butter. Olive oil would be great.

This dairy-free vegan cream of potato soup also is thickened without any cream or milk. You can thank the potatoes for some of that creaminess and the use of a handheld blender, food processor, or high-speed blender for achieving a smooth texture. Just remember, since you'll be processing hot soup, process in batches if you're not using a handheld blender, and place a kitchen towel over the blender to stop any potentially burning splatters. Alternatively, you can let the soup cool before pureeing it.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound mushrooms

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 medium onion

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 pound potatoes

  • 1/4 cup dry sherry

  • 6 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Rinse the mushrooms clean and pat them dry. Trim off and discard any dried stem ends. Roughly chop the mushrooms (don't be too fussy about the chopping; they get pureed in the end).

  3. In a large pot, melt the butter or heat the oil over medium-high heat. Increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms and salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown, about 5 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, chop the onion and the garlic. Add the onion to the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  5. Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the potatoes.

  6. Add the sherry to the pot and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

  7. Add the potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until all the vegetables are extremely falling-apart tender, about 10 minutes.

  8. Use a handheld blender to completely puree the soup. Or carefully whirl it in batches in a blender or food processor. In any case, process the soup much longer than you think is necessary—at least 2 or 3 minutes for each batch—to get a supremely smooth texture.

  9. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

  10. Serve the soup hot, garnished as you like with freshly chopped parsley, chives, or thyme, for example.

  11. Enjoy.

    Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

    Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

    Variations

    • Of course, if you feel like swirling in a bit of cream at the end for a richer, more luxurious effect, you can. Sour cream, crème fraîche, or plain Greek yogurt would be good, too.
    • Spice it up with a couple of drops of your favorite hot sauce; add some green herbal notes with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
    • Add a couple of tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, or chives, or a combination thereof.
    • Crunchy croutons would be delicious as well.

    How to Store and Freeze Potato Mushroom Soup

    This soup keeps well in the refrigerator as long as it's covered for up to five days. You can also freeze this potato mushroom soup for three to four months.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Recipe Tags: