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5 from 2 votes

Creamless Pureed Mushroom Soup

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: carrots, celery, crimini mushrooms, gluten free, leeks, mushrooms, Onions, shallots, shiitake mushrooms, soup, vegan, vegetarian, white button mushrooms
Servings: 10 servings
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium white onion peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1½ cups carrots (approx 3) peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery washed, trimmed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 leeks washed well of all dirt and then sliced
  • 2 ½-3 lbs. mushrooms (variety of mushrooms: white button, shitake, portobello, etc.) 3-4 packages of a variety of fresh mushrooms; de-stemmed and cleaned with a damp paper towel
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt if needed, add another teaspoon
  • 5 cups cold water
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • chopped chives and olive or truffle oil for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy stockpot, preferably cast iron.
  • Once the oil is hot, reduce heat to medium and add shallots, stirring occasionally until soft - about 2-3 minutes.
  • Next add onions and continue to cook together with shallots until they become soft and translucent, approx 2 minutes.  
  • Then add carrots, celery, and leeks. Stir well to combine and cook until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season mixture with salt and freshly ground pepper.
  • Add the mushrooms to the pot, adjust heat to medium-high and stir. Cook until mushrooms are soft and liquid begins to release - about 6 to 7 minutes.
  • Then season mushroom mixture with 2 teaspoons salt. Add another teaspoon if needed.
  • Pour 5 cups of water into pot and bring to a simmer. Cover for 30 minutes.
  • Using an immersion blender or blender, emulsify soup until it becomes a thick, rich puree. If using a blender, wait until the soup has cooled before blending.
  • Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate in a sealed container.
  • Garnish with some chopped chives and olive or truffle oil, optional.

Notes

Mushrooms release a lot of water when cooked. They need more salt than you would think. Start with 2 teaspoons and once soup is pureed, taste it to see if it needs more. Re-taste soup for salt adjustments if you are refrigerating and serving the next day.
Mushrooms can be very dirty.  Do not submerge mushrooms in water to clean, instead take a damp paper towel and wipe mushroom tops as necessary.  
I bought an immersion blender at Bed Bath and Beyond to use for this recipe. It  is really fun to use and is a handy gadget to have around.