If you need a warm and deeply savory soup for a cold day, make this creamy Mushroom Leek Soup! It might not look pretty but it's so good. The soup is made with sauteed caramelized leeks and mushrooms, then blended to a smooth puree with just a touch of half and half for creaminess. This soup is hearty and thick without using any flour - it's gluten-free and can easily be made vegan, too.
Jump to:
Creamy mushroom leek soup
This is the perfect pureed soup, in my opinion: it has the rich savoriness of caramelized sauteed leeks, a nice umami flavor from mushrooms, and it is thick and smooth with just enough texture to not feel like baby food. It has a little bit of half and half added for creaminess. I also use a little nutmeg to enrich the flavor, along with lots of freshly ground black pepper to give this soup lots of warmth.
Overall, a great mouthfeel and a satisfying soup, all with a very simple recipe. Even my husband who is not a fan of pureed soups said this was really good.
If you like the idea of sauteed leeks in soup, be sure to also try my sweet potato leek soup and my creamy asparagus leek soup.
If you prefer your mushroom soups to skip the blender and to have actual pieces of mushrooms in them, then you should definitely check out my lion's mane mushroom soup and my soba noodle and enoki mushroom soup.
Ingredients
- 1 leek, green and white parts thinly sliced and rinsed well (or use 2 leeks if you're only using the white parts)
- 1 pound baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced (or use mixed wild mushrooms of your choice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken bone broth (or vegetable broth, but I find that a good savory bone broth tastes really good here)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt, to taste (my chicken bone broth is unsalted so I used 1 teaspoon. If your broth is salted, you might not need any salt)
- ½ - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste (I like this soup peppery, so I use a whole teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste
- ½ - ¾ cups half and half (or ¼ cup heavy cream)
- garnish: drizzle of olive oil, diced parsley
More recipes using baby bella mushrooms: Mushroom Sliders
Equipment
- Large skillet (12-14 inches) - I like to sauté the leek and mushrooms in a large skillet that has more room for the veggies to caramelize and then transfer to a soup pot, but you can certainly use just a soup pot to caramelize your veggies and save on dishes.
- Soup pot (2-3 quarts)
- Salad spinner - this is optional but I like to really dry my sliced leek after washing it so it caramelizes faster.
- Immersion blender or a regular blender. If you like pureed soups, be sure to also try my pumpkin potato soup and my parsnip soup.
More comfort food vegetarian soups to try: Potato Dill Soup
Instructions
Prepare your veggies: Wash and slice the mushrooms. Mince the garlic. Thinly slice the leeks and wash them thoroughly (those layers trap a lot of dirt), then dry the leek thoroughly. I like to use a salad spinner.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, sliced mushrooms, and sliced leeks. Let cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes to let the bottom of the veggies brown, then continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The veggies will release juices, but keep cooking until the juices evaporate and start to brown. At this point, add the minced garlic, cook 1-2 minutes, and stir frequently to prevent burning.
Transfer the veggies to your soup pot (if you like, you can pick out a few pretty caramelized mushrooms to use as garnish). Add the broth, parsley, thyme, some salt (if using), pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Stir in or blend in the half and half. Give it a taste and add salt, pepper, or herbs to your liking.
Serve hot, garnishing with a drizzle of olive oil and diced parsley. I like to also toast sliced baguette or sourdough bread to dip into the soup.
More pureed soup recipes: Creamy Carrot Soup
Recipe tips
→ As mentioned above, I really recommend caramelizing the veggies in a separate large skillet and not in the soup pot. You can sauté them right in your soup pot, but it's harder to get that caramelization that really adds flavor to the soup.
→ Don't get lazy with the caramelization step - cook the mushrooms and leeks until the juices evaporate to get the best flavor.
→ This recipe makes 4 servings. If you want to double it, I recommend sauteing the leeks and mushrooms in batches or in two separate skillets to get the caramelization.
→ Make it vegan, dairy-free, or vegetarian: use vegetarian broth and stir in unflavored vegan half and half. Or blend in vegan sour cream, vegan cream cheese, or cashews soaked in boiled water and blended with a tiny bit of water until smooth. All of those things will add creaminess without adding any dairy to the soup.
→ Try adding grated Parmesan for a different flavor, or use sour cream instead of half and half to add creaminess to the soup.
More creamy soups to try: Potato Turnip Soup
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Mushroom Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 1 leek - green and white parts, thinly sliced and rinsed well (or use 2 leeks if you're only using the white parts)
- 1 pound baby bella mushrooms - thinly sliced (or mixed wild mushrooms)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 cups chicken bone broth - (or vegetable broth)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ - 1 teaspoon salt - to taste
- ½ - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper - to taste (I like this soup peppery, so I use a whole teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg - or to taste
- ½ - ¾ cups half and half - (or ¼ cup heavy cream)
- garnish: drizzle of olive oil, diced parsley
Special equipment
- Soup pot (2-3 quarts)
- Salad spinner to dry the slices leek
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, sliced mushrooms, and sliced leeks. Let cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom starts to brown, then cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The veggies will release juices. Keep cooking until the juices evaporate. Add the minced garlic, cook 1-2 minutes, and stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Transfer the veggies to your soup pot (you can pick out a few pretty caramelized mushrooms for garnish). Add the broth, parsley, thyme, some salt (if using), pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a blender. Stir in the half and half. Give it a taste and add salt, pepper, or herbs to your liking.
- Serve hot, garnishing with a drizzle of olive oil and diced parsley. I like to also toast sliced baguette or sourdough bread to dip into the soup.
Notes
- Leeks: Leeks trap a lot of dirt between all those layers. I recommend slicing the leeks, washing them thoroughly in a bowl and rinsing well in a colander, and then spinning the leeks dry in a salad spinner to remove extra liquid to allow them to brown during sauteing. I use the green and white parts of a leek. If you prefer only the white parts, use 2 leeks.
- Sauteing: I recommend sauteing the veggies in a separate large skillet and not in the soup pot to get better caramelization. Don't skip the caramelization step, cook the mushrooms and leeks until the juices evaporate to get the best flavor.
- If doubling the recipe, I recommend sauteing the leeks and mushrooms in batches or in two separate skillets to get the caramelization.
- Make it vegan, dairy-free, or vegetarian: use vegetarian broth and stir in unflavored vegan half and half. Or blend in vegan sour cream or vegan cream cheese.
- Try adding grated Parmesan for a different flavor (reduce the salt if using Parmesan), or use sour cream instead of half and half to add creaminess to the soup.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Kate
Wednesday 18th of December 2024
Even my husband who doesn't like soup (especially pureed soup) said this mushroom soup was really good! It might not look pretty, but it is delicious.