Creamy Mushroom Soup with Orzo
Creamy mushroom soup with orzo, made in one pot with browned fresh mushrooms and ground dried mushrooms for deep flavor, then finished with cream and a little lemon zest.
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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Notes
I use a spice grinder to grind the dried mushrooms, but a blender works too.
How to store: Store leftover soup in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
How to freeze: To freeze, stop after the 10-minute simmer, before the orzo, cornstarch, and cream. Freeze up to 3 months, then reheat and finish the recipe.
How to reheat: Reheat cold soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until warmed through. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water or stock to thin it out.
This recipe was inspired by America's Test Kitchen wild rice and mushroom soup.
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