Cream of Portobello Mushroom Soup

Hubby and I fell in love with fresh Portobello Mushrooms when we first tasted this Cream of Mushroom Soup served in a quaint eatery in Auckland, New Zealand. It was seved warm against the cold chilly winds of Auckland. It was comforting. It was fresh. It was creamy and filling. Hmmmm...

Again, I was pleasantly surprised to find fresh portobello mushrooms available at Santi's Deli. (They have it newly delivered on Thursdays.) I tried recreating the soup at home with wonderful results. I feel that these tasty mushrooms can stand by its own flavor. I just added some celery for color and for the texture.

3 caps fresh Portobello Mushrooms
2 stalks celery
3 T butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 whole onion, chopped finely
4 C chicken soup stock
salt & pepper
2T flour and 2 T cornstarch dispersed in water
1/2 C fresh milk or all-purpose cream

1. Chop Portobello mushrooms and celery very finely. I prefer my soup to still have some texture, so I just chop them, even if this is time consuming. If you prefer your soup to be fine, then you can use blender or food processor for this step.

2. Melt butter in a soup pot. Saute garlic and onions briefly. Add in the chopped portobello mushrooms and saute briefly. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a full boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add the chopped celery. I add this just before finishing cooking the soup because I want my soup to have texture. But if you want it cooked and soft, you should add celery with the mushrooms.

4. When the soup boils again, add the flour/cornstarch diluted in water to thicken the soup. Mix thoroughly and let boil again.

5. Add milk or cream last. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Choose fresh mushrooms that are whole, firm and not soggy wet. They're better cooked right after purchase as they do not keep well in the refrigerator.