This creamy mushroom soup with orzo is my grown-up version of the first thing I ever made on my own as a latchkey kid in the ’80s: canned cream of mushroom soup with a grilled cheese on the side. Same cozy feeling, with a lot more flavor, all in one Dutch oven.
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The trick is using two kinds of mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms brown into savory bits on the bottom of the pot, and a few spoonfuls of ground dried mushrooms dissolve into the broth, so every spoonful tastes like mushroom, not just the bites with mushrooms in them. Orzo makes it hearty enough to call dinner, and a little lemon zest at the end keeps it from feeling heavy.
When you want something heartier, my cheeseburger soup is the meatier one in my rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot, start to finish. The mushrooms, broth, and orzo all cook in the same Dutch oven.
- Real mushroom flavor. Browned fresh mushrooms plus ground dried mushrooms make it taste like mushrooms throughout.
- It’s dinner, not a starter. The orzo makes it filling, and one pot feeds 6.
- Meatless if you want it. Use vegetable broth, and it’s a vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients
- Fresh mushrooms: White button or baby bella. Baby bellas (also sold as cremini) are the same mushroom as white buttons, just picked older, so they’re browner and a little deeper in flavor. Either works, or use a mix.
- Dried mushrooms: A small package of dried shiitake or a mixed dried mushroom blend. Grind them into a powder; that’s where the deep mushroom flavor comes from. I used a dried stir-fry mushroom mix from the produce section, next to the fresh mushrooms.
- Dry sherry: Buy real dry sherry, not cooking sherry. Cooking sherry has salt added and won’t taste as clean.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth from the store is fine, or use rotisserie chicken bone broth if you have some in the freezer.
- Orzo: This little rice-shaped pasta cooks right in the soup, so you don’t need an extra pot to wash.
See the recipe card below for full measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- No dried mushrooms: If you can’t find them, leave them out. The soup will taste milder and less earthy, so taste it before serving and adjust the salt.
- Vegetable broth: Swap it for the chicken broth if you want a meatless soup.
- Leeks instead of onion: Use the white and light green parts. Here’s how to clean and cut leeks so you don’t end up with grit in your soup.
- Add chicken: Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken with the cream to warm it through.
- Dairy-free: Use plant-based butter and coconut cream instead of the butter and heavy cream.
- Fresh herbs: Finish with chopped flat-leaf parsley, chives, or fresh thyme leaves.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step by step instructions
Start the mushrooms. Grind the dried mushrooms into a fine powder in a spice grinder or blender, then set aside. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add the sliced mushrooms, onion, garlic, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
Brown and deglaze. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and a dark layer forms on the bottom of the pot, about 15 minutes. Pour in the sherry, scrape up the browned bits, and cook until it’s mostly reduced, about 3 minutes.
Simmer. Add the ground mushrooms, broth, 3 cups of the water, thyme, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Add the orzo and finish. Stir in the orzo and cook for 8 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup water, stir it in, and simmer for about 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the cream and lemon zest, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Taste and season.
What mushrooms are best for creamy mushroom soup?
Plain white button mushrooms or baby bellas, or a mix of the two. They’re the same mushroom at different ages, so you’re choosing between milder (white) and slightly earthier (baby bella), not two different flavors. Pre-sliced packages are fine here and save you 10 minutes of slicing. The dried mushrooms carry most of the deep flavor anyway.
Can I make this with canned cream of mushroom soup?
This recipe doesn’t use a can. The creamy texture comes from a splash of heavy cream and a little cornstarch, and the mushroom flavor comes from browning fresh mushrooms and adding ground dried ones. I haven’t tested a shortcut version with canned soup, so I can’t tell you how it would turn out. If you’re short on time, the slowest part is browning the mushrooms, and I wouldn’t skip that.
What to serve with creamy mushroom soup
It’s hearty enough on its own, so a simple side salad is plenty. If you’re planning grilled cheese, my tomato basil soup is the classic match.
Sarah’s Tips
- Let the mushrooms brown. Stir only now and then. That dark layer on the bottom of the pot is flavor, the same idea as searing the meat for my Dutch oven beef stew without wine.
- Mind the salt. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use table salt, use half. Soy sauce and broth both add salt, so taste at the end before adding more.
- Zest the lemon right before you add it. Fresh zest is brighter, and ¼ teaspoon is enough to lift the whole pot.
- Expect the orzo to keep drinking. Leftovers thicken overnight, so keep extra broth or water nearby for reheating.
FAQs
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low for about 5 minutes, stirring and adding a splash of water or broth if it’s too thick. To freeze, see the FAQ above.
Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Soup with Orzo
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce dried mushrooms (a mixed blend or shiitake)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound button mushrooms or baby bellas trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 onion chopped fine (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half if using table salt)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ⅔ cup dry sherry
- 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 3 ¼ cups water, divided
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup orzo
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Grind the dried mushrooms in a spice grinder until finely ground (you should have about 3 tablespoons).
- Melt butter in Dutch oven over med-high heat.
- Add sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, onion, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and dark fond develops on bottom of pot, 15 minutes.
- Add sherry, and cook until reduced about 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add ground mushrooms, broth, 3 cups water, dried thyme, and soy sauce, and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in orzo and cook for 8 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in small bowl. Stir cornstarch slurry into soup, return to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in cream, and lemon zest.
- Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Test for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
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Awesome! So creamy and tasty.