Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Soup

Caramelized onion and mushroom soup in a black bowl with spoons nearby.

4.99 from 51 votes

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Soup

Creamy, silky, and so delicious, this is an easy soup that's packed with umami-rich flavor and ingredients. Perfect on a cold day or whenever you're craving a great bowl of soup, pair this soup with a salad, sandwich, or a chunk of crusty bread.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Soups & Stews

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramelized onion and mushroom soup, caramelized onions, cremini mushrooms, mushroom soup, mushrooms, onion soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Chef Jenn

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced onions
1 pound cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup white wine chardonnay is great in soups
4 cups low sodium beef broth
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 slices bacon or 1/4 pound pancetta
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large skillet or soup pot and add the onions. Turn the heat down and cook the onions low and slow until they turn a caramel color. Stir often.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the onions and cook until the mushrooms are softened.
Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and simmer for a minute until the wine is mostly evaporated.
Add the chicken and beef broth and sprigs of thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes, covered.
Pan-fry the bacon or pancetta until crisp while the soup is simmering.
Transfer the soup mixture to a blender - reserving about 1 cup of chunky onions and mushrooms - and puree the soup until it is thick and creamy.
Pour the pureed soup back into the soup pot along with the reserved soup. Bring it back to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
Add the cream to the soup, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with the crumbled bacon or pancetta before serving.

Notes

Chef Jenn's Tips

The hardest part about making this soup is waiting for the onions to caramelize. You can use about 1 cup of leftover caramelized onions, if you have them, or do this step ahead of time. Caramelized onions will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Cremini mushrooms are my pick for this recipe because of their deep mushroom flavor. If you use portobello mushrooms, be sure to remove the dark gills with a spoon before cooking, or they'll discolor your soup.
Half chicken broth and half beef broth is an old chef trick for coaxing great flavor out of soups without it tasting all of beef or chicken. Try it!
Be careful when using the blender. Hot liquids like to explode when being blended. Remove the hole in the lid and cover the top of the blender with a clean kitchen towel. Start on low and work the speed up to high until the soup is pureed.

Nutrition