We need only a few ingredients to make this gorgeous and flavourful Mushroom Leek Soup, so creamy and delightfully delicious!
Delicious fungus!
The days are getting warmer and we’re getting more light. Hooray, I’m waiting in anticipation of my favourite season to arrive and I can hardly wait! The sounds of the birds chirping, the intoxicating smells of flowers in full bloom, spring just delights my senses. I hope our COVID cases decrease and we’ll be out of lockdown so we can enjoy our spring and summer to the fullest.
For now, we are still in winter, and some days like today, it’s still freezing! So there’s no better time to serve tasty heartwarming soup! On the menu, today is fungi and leek soup. Ok, fungi definitely doesn’t sound appealing, let’s just stick to Mushroom and Leek soup.
Mushrooms would have to be one of my favourite vegetables. I don’t think I’ve come across a variety of mushrooms I didn’t like. However, mushrooms sometimes frighten me, not because they are a type of fungus, it’s because I’ve found some really freakish looking ones on my plates at restaurants. Have you seen wood ear mushrooms? They actually look like ears from a giant mutant rat! Google it and you’ll see what I mean. If you can get over this as I did, it’s quite delicious!
This creamy mushroom has leeks instead of onions. Mushrooms are quite mild in flavour, so in order for them to shine, we need a subtle onion flavour, and leek is our answer. That strange vegetable that looks like an overgrown spring onion has a sweet but mild onion taste.
To let you in how incredibly delicious this soup is, my husband, Tomasi, had seconds. This was coming from a guy that doesn’t like mushrooms. Even my 21-month-old toddler, Kai, was a fan and that, for me, was the biggest win of all!
Warm the soul with more flavourful soup:
Thai Spicy Seafood Soup
Pea Soup With Wasabi
Curry Bean Pumpkin Soup
Quick and Easy Pho
Make this modest soup a little fancy
This soup tastes smooth, creamy and completely delicious on its own. However, if you’re a big fan of texture and variety like myself, I have you covered.
I used the very common ‘White’ mushrooms in this soup, they are very mild in flavour. This means that this soup has a mild ‘mushroomy’ flavour. So if you’re a mushroom lover and want to taste and eat mushrooms with your soup, I would recommend pan-frying some mushrooms on the side whilst the soup is simmering away. This extra step doesn’t take too long, and it’s definitely worth doing. Mix half of the mushroom slices into the soup after blending for texture and place some on top for garnish.
If desired, you could also pan-fry some extra leeks with the mushrooms or deep fry them as I did for garnish. And if you’re feeling naughty, you could always add crispy bacon and croutons!
My toddler, Kai, loved this soup, and I was over the moon because I didn’t have to cook two separate meals. He loved it until a slice of mushroom offended him, so he spat it out. But that’s okay, as I was happy to have his sliced mushrooms, the ones that weren’t half-chewed on, that is!
Speaking of cheeky Kai, he’s started saying a few words, all mispronounced, of course, but we know what he’s trying to say. Some of these words include; banana, balloon, book, meow, oink and ‘Pap-bah’ for Dadda. But…… no mummy, yet, and I am okay with this. Okay, maybe a little jealous, but my hubby can’t know about this because he already teases me. He tells me it’s because Kai loves his daddy more just to rile me up, but that’s okay, because everyone tells us that Kai looks just like his mummy!
Subscribe to 3CatsFoodie’s FREE Newsletter
For the latest recipes and other fun stuff!
Ingredients for Mushroom Leek Soup
Mushrooms – I used White mushrooms which has a mild flavour. Portobello, Button, Swiss Brown and Flat mushrooms are also fantastic choices for this soup. Mushrooms soak up water like a sponge, so it’s best not to wash them in water. Clean them by using a damp tea or paper towel, gently wipe the mushroom caps clean.
Leek – Remove the root of the leek and the dark leaves by slicing them off, leaving the body. Remove the first layer of the leek by using a small sharp knife to help peel it, then slice the leek into thin rings. If there is dirt visible trapped inside the rings, place them into a bowl of cold water to wash them clean. Drain the slices of leeks and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
Salt-reduced chicken stock – I prefer using salt-reduced stock in my dishes because it gives me the flexibility to adjust the salt later to my taste. The last thing you want is a dish that ends up being way too salty!
Thickened cream (whipping cream) has gelatine added to it and contains 35% milk fat. To maintain a smooth, rich consistency, I don’t recommend using low-fat cream. However, if you prefer to use still use low-fat cream, it’ll result in a thinner soup.
How to make Mushroom Leek Soup
Step-by-step guide with photos
Slice the mushrooms and leek thinly but roughly, there’s no need for it to look neat and even.
Melt the butter in a medium or large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and stir quickly until fragrant, then add in the leeks. Stir to cook until the leeks have wilted, then add in the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have softened, pour in the stock and add in the thyme, chicken powder and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes uncovered. Remove the pan off the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Leave soup aside to cool for 10 minutes before blending.
In a blender or food processor, blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return the soup back to the saucepan place over medium heat. Once the soup bubbles, reduce the heat to low and add the cream and mix to combine. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper if needed. Give it a thorough stir and remove from heat.
Optional topping – For the mushrooms – heat oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add in the mushrooms and stir occasionally until they have browned nicely. For the leeks – slice the leeks into very thin strips and deep fry them with oil until golden. Mix half of the mushrooms into the soup and use the remaining as garnish along with cream and the fried leeks.
Leftovers – Allow the soup to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the soup into a sealed container and refrigerate, it’ll be good for up to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Mushroom Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 40 gm butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 large leek (sliced thinly) (NOTE 1)
- 500 gm mushrooms (sliced) (NOTE 2)
- 3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock (low-sodium) (NOTE 3)
- 2 sprig thyme
- ½ tsp chicken powder (or chicken stock powder)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup thickened cream (NOTE 4)
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200 gm mushrooms (sliced thinly)
- fried leeks
- thickened cream
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms and leek thinly but roughly, there's no need for it to look neat and even.
- Melt the butter in a medium or large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and stir quickly until fragrant, then add in the leeks. Stir to cook until the leeks have wilted, then add in the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have softened, pour in the stock and add in the thyme, chicken powder and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes uncovered. Remove the pan off the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Leave soup aside to cool for 10 minutes before blending.
- In a blender or food processor, blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return the soup back to the saucepan place over medium heat. Once the soup bubbles, reduce the heat to low and add the cream and mix to combine. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper if needed. Give it a thorough stir and remove from heat.
- FOR OPTIONAL TOPPINGS – For the mushrooms – heat oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add in the mushrooms and stir occasionally until they have browned nicely. For the leeks – slice the leeks into very thin strips and deep fry them with oil until golden. Mix half of the mushrooms into the soup and use the remaining as garnish along with cream and the fried leeks.
