How To Make Cream Of Mushroom Soup

My love for mushrooms is eternal. There is not a single time that i have browsed Pinterest and regretted that stuff like Portabella and Shitake is not available in India easily. I still make do with whatever i get which is button mushrooms. While the H detests eating mushrooms, i love everything mushroom. So i tend to pick up these only when H is not around.

A few weeks back, H was out of town and mom was here. She too loves mushrooms and i decided to try a few recipes that have mushroom in them. The first in the list was this cream of mushroom soup that i tried. I sort of put together a Chinese meal for lunch one day and served this creamy soup as a starter. Amma loved it to bits. The brownie points in this recipe are that it uses olive oil in place of butter and no cream in it too. I used low fat milk to make this soup and we dint miss the cream or the butter at all. Because i am a person who loves her soup loaded with butter, i topped mine with some salty Amul butter and i am not saying i regretted it. You can leave out the butter totally for a low fat version. Weight watchers’ delight!! Now let us see how to make cream of mushroom soup with step by step pictures.

Recipe For Cream Of Mushroom Soup
( Learn how to make Cream of Mushroom soup, an easy soup with mushrooms that is low in fat content too)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves 2 generously
Allergy Info: Gluten free, Nut free and Soy free
Category: Appetizer, Starter, Soup
Cuisine: International
Serving Suggestions: A dash of butter, Quick And Easy Garlic Bread

Ingredients

Mushrooms 1 c  sliced
Onion 1 large sliced
Garlic cloves 4 sliced and divided
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Low Fat Milk 1 c
Water 1/2 c
Salt to taste
White pepper 1 tsp

To Garnish

A dash of butter ( optional but recommended)
A sprinkle of black pepper powder

Notes:

1. If you want a richer creamier soup, add full fat milk.
2. If you find the soup too thick, feel free to add more water but not milk.
3. White pepper can be substituted with black pepper but please use lesser quantity and adjust later if found less. I would recommend white pepper though.
4. Olive oil lends a subtle flavor to the soup. I would not recommend using Extra Virgin Olive Oil though. Pomace works best.
5. Do keep a check on salt if you are using salted butter for the garnish.

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan.
Add one half of the sliced garlic cloves and toss till brown.

To this add sliced onions and saute till light pink.

Next add the sliced mushrooms and saute till they wilt completely.

To this add pepper and salt.

Let cool completely
Place this mixture in a blender along with the milk and blend to a smooth paste.

Remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan that was used for sauteeing the mushrooms and onions.

To this add the ground paste and mix well.

Add 1/2 of water to this and let simmer for a minute.

Switch off flame.
Check for seasonings and adjust if required.
Add a dash of butter if desired.
Garnish with black pepper.
Serve hot.