Mushroom Soup made from Scratch



Who knew that making mushroom soup from scratch could be so easy?  After making this I know I will never again buy those unhealthy cans of soup again.  I have made this recipe a couple of times now.  The first time I made this I sliced the mushrooms very thin first but found this wasn't really necessary.  I threw them in whole the next time and that saved a lot of time.   This can also be frozen and that makes it ideal to have on hand for recipes.  I freeze enough to equal a 10 ounce can ( about a cup and a half)  in small freezer bags and then when I am making a recipe that calls for a can of mushroom soup I can just pull it out of the freezer.  Just be sure to leave a little space in the baggie to allow it room to expand.  Or you can also use regular freezer containers to freeze them in.  Either way it makes it so handy to just pull them out and throw into any recipe that requires a can of cream of mushroom soup.
 


You can slice the mushrooms up first like I did in this photo or you can just throw them in whole to save time.


Throw the mushrooms, onions and chicken broth ( or you can also use vegetable broth) into a large pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender.


Put this mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  If you want some sliced mushrooms mixed in with your soup be sure to set some aside before this step.


Melt the butter in large pot and then whisk in the flour until smooth. 


Pour in the half and half and then the mushroom mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat this to a boil and then simmer until thickened. 

                  
The recipe below makes 6 servings.  I usually double the recipe in order to have a lot to freeze.  

Nutritional info.  calories 148, cholesterol 30mg, fiber .9g, sodium 364mg, carbohydrates 8.6g, fat 11g, protein 4.8g
                                                _________________________________


 Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
  • 5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup half-and-half
Directions:
  1. In a large heavy saucepan, cook mushrooms in the broth with onion and thyme until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. In blender or food processor, puree the mixture , leaving some chunks of vegetable in it. Set aside.
  3. In the saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, half and half and vegetable puree. Stirring constantly, bring soup to a boil and cook until thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste.  

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