13 Ways To Jazz Up Your Classic Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Few dishes can rival the comfort of a hearty bowl of homemade soup. From simple classics such as chicken noodle soup to more elaborate creations like seafood chowder, each bowl offers a unique texture and flavor profile. In addition, the ultra-versatile nature of soups means they can be easily tailored to different tastes and dietary requirements.

While soups have been around for ages, cream of mushroom soup came into the spotlight after the Campbell Soup Company introduced its canned version of the product in 1934. Initially marketed as both a soup and a sauce, Campbell's Cream of Mushroom quickly became a base for countless recipes, including the "Green Bean Bake," promoted by the company's home economics department. While Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup remains popular, many home chefs have turned to making their own versions of the classic, opting for fresh ingredients, a richer taste, and a focus on quality.

Ready to put your own spin on cream of mushroom soup? Check out our tips for elevating this iconic dish to a whole new level.

Adding stock to soups, sauces, stews, gravies, risottos, or casseroles is a time-tested way to boost depth and complexity. As such, it shouldn't come as a surprise that including stock in cream of mushroom soup can also be a game changer. In particular, its rich, savory notes are a perfect complement to the earthiness of mushrooms. While everyone seems to have an opinion on what type of stock to incorporate in cream of mushroom soup, most agree that a homemade version is preferable to ones purchased at the supermarket. 

For a hearty umami flavor, try making stock with chicken and pork neck bones. Another flavorful option to add richness to cream of mushroom soup is beef stock. On the other hand, for a lighter variation of the iconic soup, use chicken or vegetable stock. Since stock tends to be time-consuming to make, it's best to cook up a large batch and keep it in the freezer for when you need it. Be sure to divide the stock into smaller portions for easy use without the need to defrost the entire batch.

When it comes to cream of mushroom soup, the star of the show are mushrooms. After all, it's the fungi that give this classic dish its earthy, umami flavor and satisfying texture. Most cream of mushroom recipes call for button mushrooms or the slightly darker baby bellas, as they are both wallet-friendly and can be easily found at grocery stores. These two mushroom types also tend to be milder in flavor than most other varieties. One Reddit user lists the reasons behind the popularity of button mushrooms, saying "[It's about] sticking to the basics of what [is] familiar and widely available. That way it doesn't intimidate new cooks, and doesn't make it seem unobtainable for people without the 'fancy mushroom' budget or experience."

If you prefer a richer flavor in your cream of mushroom soup, try experimenting with different varieties like shiitake, portobello, and porcini, as well as using an assortment for more complexity. It goes without saying that the more fungi you throw into the mix, the more mushroomy the soup will taste.

For best results, don't be concerned about washing the mushrooms. While some purists lament the fact that mushrooms absorb water, any excess liquid will evaporate during the browning process. To maximize their flavor, saute the mushrooms with a little butter. Once the fungi turn golden, add some garlic and shallots to the pan to infuse the soup with additional flavor.

Cream of mushroom soup didn't get its name by mistake. It's the addition of cream that gives the classic soup its smooth texture and indulgent, mildly sweet flavor. For a thick consistency, imbue the soup with heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. For a slightly lighter texture and fewer calories, try replacing heavy cream with half-and-half or evaporated milk. Meanwhile, you could also use whole milk or yogurt. To prevent curdling, be sure to add the dairy while the soup is simmering on low heat. Alternatively, stir a little soup into the dairy to warm it up before pouring it back into the saucepan.

The smooth texture of cream of mushroom soup doesn't necessarily need to be derived from dairy. To give the dish a creamy consistency without relying on milk-based products, replace them with unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk. That said, both ingredients are likely to change the flavor of the soup, giving it a slightly sweet or nutty flavor, which might not be everybody's desired result.

To add heartiness and thicken your cream of mushroom soup, mix it with cooked grains or vegetable puree. These ingredients not only enhance the soup's texture but also enrich the flavor without overpowering the distinct earthiness of the mushrooms. They can also make the soup more filling, turning it from a starter into a main dish.

There are plenty of options when it comes to bulking up your cream of mushroom soup with grains. At its simplest, you can mix the dish with some rice or couscous. Alternatively, you could also try enhancing the soup with quinoa, barley, or farro, all of which can imbue it with distinct textures and flavors. To make your cream of mushroom soup even more robust, consider blending sauteed vegetables like onions, potatoes, and carrots into a puree before whisking it into the broth. Those who enjoy venturing outside the box might even puree some avocado and use it as a thickening agent for the soup.

While this may initially seem counterintuitive, adding a little bit of acidity to your cream of mushroom soup can enhance its overall flavor profile. Some of the most common acidic ingredients that can brighten up the flavor of soup include a squeeze of lemon or lime, a splash of white wine or vinegar, or a spoonful of tomato puree. That said, it's important to use these ingredients in moderation, as they can easily make the dish overly acidic.

Perhaps one Reddit user sums up this fine balance best, saying, "A few drops of lemon juice in a cream-based soup or sauce won't make it taste lemony or curdle, but it will absolutely help the flavor. If you have a cream-based soup or sauce and you think it needs more salt, try some lemon juice instead."

Interestingly, a touch of acidity can also be the secret weapon to help balance flavors if you accidentally over-salt your mushroom soup. Adding a little acidity to overly salty food is one of the easiest ways to bring the dish back from the brink of inedibility. In addition to enhancing the soup's flavor, a little acidity can also neutralize any overpowering saltiness in the dish.

Adding a splash of alcohol to a dish imbues it with more flavor complexity by binding with the fat molecules and moisture. Soups are no exception to this rule and can benefit greatly from the nuanced flavors created by the introduction of alcohol. In fact, many home chefs recommend bringing out the richness in cream of mushroom soup by spiking it with a splash of white cooking wine or sherry.

So what is the best moment to incorporate a little alcohol into your cream of mushroom soup? According to many culinary enthusiasts, wine and sherry are the perfect ingredients for deglazing the pan after you finish sauteeing the mushrooms, garlic, and onion. It's best to cook the concoction until the alcohol reduces by half, scraping up the flavorful bits stuck to the pan's surface. Only after this step should you start beefing up the soup with ingredients such as stock, cream, and aromatics.

For those not yet convinced, one home chef highlights the benefits of infusing your soup with a touch of wine, saying, "From a utilitarian perspective, any cold liquid can deglaze a hot pan, including water or stock. Wine is commonly used because it brings a subtle sweetness and complexity to the flavor that's very difficult to replicate any other way."

Aromatics can enhance the taste of cream of mushroom soup by imbuing it with rich flavors and making it more well-rounded. Herbs and spices also serve as a fragrant foundation for the dish, stimulating the appetite. Some of these include thyme, bay leaves, chervil, oregano, tarragon, and rosemary. While it's always best to use fresh herbs and spices, dried versions can also work well. If you want to give your cream of mushroom soup a kick, try adding a little ground ginger, paprika, or turmeric, or a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

One Quora user describes how they balance aromatics in their mushroom soup, saying, "I especially like the flavor of thyme in mushroom soup. Parsley helps bring out other flavors, but doesn't seem to provide a flavor of its own, so I use it often. Rosemary, marjoram, oregano, and sage are stronger in flavor — I like them, but in a mild flavored soup, they could be very dominating, especially when they are fresh."

According to some home chefs, it's best to add your aromatics into the mix only once you have sauteed the mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and deglazed the pan. Others say that as a rule of thumb, you should be adding dried herbs early in the cooking process and fresh herbs closer to serving. The choice is yours.

From French onion soup to hearty casseroles, the toasty flavor of croutons can elevate everyday dishes to new heights. When it comes to cream of mushroom soup, croutons provide a satisfying contrast to the velvety texture of the dish. If added at the right time, these crunchy morsels of goodness soak up just enough of the soup to soften slightly without becoming overly mushy. Croutons can also make soup more filling, as highlighted by one Quora user: "Traditionally soups [have been] eaten with something solid like soup sticks, soup buns, etc. Fried bread has [a] crunchy taste and when we serve soup with fried bread, it absorbs some cream/butter from the soup and tastes creamy and crunchy."

While you can easily invest in a bag of croutons at your local supermarket, preparing them from scratch can take your soup game to a whole new level. Croutons are surprisingly quick and easy to make. Whether you start with fresh or stale bread, the recipe for croutons is simple. All you need to do is cut it into pieces, toss them in melted butter or olive oil, and fry them in a pan or bake them in the oven until the bits are nice and crispy.

Whether it's creamy pastas or delicious casseroles, a little cheese can bring out the best in your favorite recipes. The versatile dairy ingredient not only adds a velvety texture to dishes, but it also elevates them with a satisfying savory richness. Similarly, cream of mushroom soup can also benefit from a cheesy touch.

Although cream of mushroom soup is normally already velvety, you can make this iconic dish even thicker by mixing it with a little cheese — but not all cheese works. Author and cheese expert, Michele Di Pietro, says that when selecting a cheese for your soup, it's important to consider how well it will complement the texture and flavor. With dishes like cream of mushroom soup, Di Pietro recommends cheeses like Gruyère, fontina, and Monterey Jack, as they possess good meltability (via Cheese Professor).

To prevent clumping, it's best to stir in the cheese at the end of the cooking process, melting it on very low heat or using residual heat. If the temperature is too high, the cheese might clump. If it's too low, it might not melt. Sprinkle in the cheese one cup at a time, ensuring that each batch has properly melted before adding more. If the cheese happens to form a mass, you can try saving the soup by using an immersion blender, although this doesn't guarantee success.

If you like your cream of mushroom soup on the flavorful side, you could do much worse than amping it up with a little truffle oil. Topping the soup with a drizzle of truffle oil just before serving can give it a decadent earthy depth that complements the savory richness of the mushrooms. That said, it's important not to go overboard with the oil, as it can easily overpower the other ingredients in the soup.

Truffle oil can imbue your cream of mushroom soup with the rich taste of truffles without the hefty price tag, which is a consequence of their rarity. The fungi need very specific conditions to grow, requiring trained dogs to locate them in the wild. Truffle oil costs a fraction of the price of real truffles because — wait for it — it usually doesn't contain any truffles. Instead, the product is made with synthetic compounds that mimic the flavor and aroma of truffles. Having said that, you can also find natural truffle oil infused with real truffles, however, expect it to cost more than the synthetic alternative.

For those not in the know, miso is made with fermented soybean paste, salt, and a starter called koji. Miso paste is used to make miso soup, a traditional Japanese dish made with dashi stock, tofu, seaweed, and green onions. The paste also often appears in marinades, sauces, glazes, and even salad dressings. It's well-known for its rich umami flavor, making it ideal for adding depth and complexity to dishes. Beyond being an ultra-versatile cooking ingredient, miso also offers numerous health benefits, as it's rich in probiotics, vitamins, and minerals.

Soup and miso are a match made in heaven, and cream of mushroom soup is no exception. Miso's bold umami flavor pairs perfectly with the earthiness of the mushrooms in the dish. One important thing to remember when incorporating miso paste into your cream of mushroom soup is to add it toward the end of the cooking process, as explained by one netizen: "You add it at the end and don't let the soup come back up to a boil as it can reduce the cultures in [the miso] and potentially give an off flavor."

Adding final touches to a dish by garnishing it not only enhances the visual appeal but can also add flavor, texture, and freshness. In addition, garnishes can be used to highlight the key ingredients in a dish, offering a preview of its flavor profile. For instance, to transform your bowl of cream of mushroom soup into a more filling meal, top it with croutons, Parmesan crisps, sauteed mushrooms, or shredded cheese. Of course, you can also make your cream of mushroom soup more filling by serving it with a few slices of garlic bread on the side.

For a fresh touch, consider garnishing your cream of mushroom soup with herbs like parsley, thyme, or chives. These aromatics not only add texture but also infuse the dish with a pop of color. For a splash of white, top the soup with a dollop of cream or yogurt. Dairy can also act as a mellowing ingredient for the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Finally, you can spruce up the soup with nuts and seeds — such as almonds, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds — all of which can add both flavor and crunch to the dish.

The fact that a classic cream of mushroom soup recipe is vegetarian needn't stop carnivores from experimenting by incorporating different types of protein. After all, mushrooms are an ultra-versatile ingredient that is paired with meat in a wide range of dishes, such as mushroom Bolognese, beef-stuffed mushrooms, and beef Stroganoff.

While you can enrich your cream of mushroom soup with any kind of protein, including chicken or pork, beef remains a classic choice that pairs exceptionally well with the ingredients in the dish. Since steak, mushrooms, and gravy are usually such a winning combination, adding bite-size-pieces of steak to your cream of mushroom soup can bring a delicious and filling element to the dish. 

To take it a step further, you can also add boiled potatoes to create a stew-like version of the soup. Furthermore, if you decide to go the potato route, you may not need to use any thickening agents like flour or cornstarch to achieve the desired soup consistency, as it's likely to thicken on its own while simmering.