Cream of mushroom soup - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Kitchen

In Chile, it was very common to start every lunch with soup, followed by the main course. My grandmother had a very extensive repertoire of soups, and although most weren't my favorites, I've always loved cream of vegetable soups, especially cream of mushroom soup.

Ingredients · Servings 4

1 chopped onion, diced into large cubes
450 grams of large chopped mushrooms (you can mix white and portobello mushrooms)
1 sprig of parsley
2 tablespoons of butter
4 cups or 1 liter of whole milk
vegetable oil

Method · PT-497396H58M45S

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and sauté for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and when it melts, add the mushrooms. Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir.
Add the parsley and milk. Stir. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the parsley. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If using a blender, wait for the soup to cool and blend in batches of no more than 2 cups.
Serve hot with chopped parsley if desired.

Vegetable creams are also an excellent way to introduce children to vegetables with new flavors; the milk helps give the creams a natural sweetness and a familiar taste. At my house, asparagus, celery, tomato, and pumpkin creams are very popular.

Can I use vegetable broth instead of milk or a mixture of milk and water?

Yes, you can adjust the liquids to your liking; the milk softens the flavor of the mushrooms a bit, making the flavor less concentrated, so keep that in mind.

Can I use other types of mushrooms like portobello?

Yes, but each mushroom has its own particular flavor; white mushrooms have less flavor than portobello mushrooms, for example, so you might need to dilute the soup a little more, but the preparation method is the same.

Should I peel the mushrooms? How do you recommend washing them?

There's no need to peel the mushrooms; I clean them with a damp cloth or paper towel. It's not recommended to soak them in water because they absorb water and won't brown properly when cooked. This is less important in this soup, but it does matter if you're making a mushroom sauce, for example.