Mushroom Bisque | The Recipe Critic

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Mushroom bisque is full of cream and garlic-infused mushrooms, all blended to make a thick, rich, and beyond flavorful soup! You will want to drink this straight from your bowl!

Overhead shot of a bowl of mushroom bisque with sautéed mushrooms on top. Overhead shot of a bowl of mushroom bisque with sautéed mushrooms on top.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Incredible taste & texture: This mushroom bisque is loaded with warm, comforting flavor and a thick, velvety creaminess that your family will want to come home to. 
  • Budget-friendly: The ingredients are all simple and don’t cost much, which is always a plus!
  • Impressive: The addition of sautéed onion and garlic, fresh herbs, and cream elevates this dish and makes it a beautiful starter, side dish, or vegetarian main.

Ingredients Needed for Mushroom Bisque

There’s nothing better than enjoying a hot bowl of soup on a cold night! Luckily, this mushroom bisque recipe is easy and only needs a handful of simple ingredients. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a list of exact measurements.

  • Butter: Melt the unsalted butter to add flavor as you sauté the mushrooms.
  • Mushrooms: The star of this recipe! Clean the mushrooms well before using.  
  • Onion: Adds savory flavor and complexity.
  • Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is a must for the best savory flavor!
  • Herbs: Fresh thyme and fresh parsley add color and a wonderful herby flavor.
  • Flour: Just 1/4 cup will perfectly thicken the bisque.
  • Chicken Broth: Use a low-sodium broth to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
  • Heavy Cream: Gives the bisque its creamy texture and rich flavor.
  • Salt & Pepper: Add a generous amount to taste.
Overhead shot of labeled ingredients. Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.

How to Make Mushroom Bisque

Not only is mushroom bisque easy to make, but it cooks in one pot for easy cleanup! It tastes amazing. I promise it will be a huge hit with your friends and family!

  1. Cook the Mushrooms: Add the butter to a 6 or 8-quart Dutch oven and then melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the mushrooms. Cook and stir the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they have released a lot of liquid. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.
  2. Sauté: Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions start turning translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add Flour: Turn the heat back up to medium and then stir in the flour. Continue to stir as you cook the flour with the mushroom mixture for 3-4 minutes. It will get clumpy and stick together, which is alright.
  4. Stir in Broth: Slowly stir in the broth, making sure the mixture doesn’t clump up too much as you add it.
  5. Cream: Add the cream and stir until combined.
  6. Blend: Carefully ladle the soup into a high-speed blender. Place a clean, folded kitchen towel on top to prevent leaking, then blend the soup until smooth. Add the pureed soup back to the pot and simmer over medium-low heat while stirring off and on for about 10 minutes until thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Overhead shot of mushrooms sautéing in a skillet. Overhead shot of mushrooms sautéing in a skillet.
Overhead shot of sautéing mushrooms with herbs, onions and seasonings added. Overhead shot of sautéing mushrooms with herbs, onions and seasonings added.
Overhead shot of mushroom mixture with flour in a skillet. Overhead shot of mushroom mixture with flour in a skillet.
Angle shot of broth being poured into the mushroom and flour mixture. Angle shot of broth being poured into the mushroom and flour mixture.
Angle shot of cream being poured into the mushroom, flour and broth mixture. Angle shot of cream being poured into the mushroom, flour and broth mixture.
Side shot of blender with soup ingredients inside with towel on top. Side shot of blender with soup ingredients inside with towel on top.

Mushroom Bisque Tips and Variations

Use these tips and customization ideas to make sure your mushroom bisque is exactly what you like!

  • What kind of mushrooms? You can use white or button mushrooms. Varieties such as cremini, shiitake, or baby bella have richer, deeper mushroom flavor and would also be great.
  • Dried Herbs: Reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon thyme and parsley.
  • Type of Blender: You can use whatever blender you have at home. High-speed blenders will produce a smoother consistency, but regular blenders will work fine. I found that an immersion blender works for this recipe, but the resulting soup is much more chunky. Traditional bisque should be more smooth.
  • Dairy-Free Option: To make this recipe dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter. Replace the heavy cream with full fat canned coconut milk.
  • Vegetarian Option: You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth if you want to make it vegetarian.
  • Cooking the Mushrooms: Be sure to cook the liquid from the mushrooms until it is nearly all evaporated and reduced. This will concentrate the flavor of the mushrooms. It will also prevent the bisque from having too much water to the point it won’t thicken.

Close up shot of a ladle full of mushroom bisque.Close up shot of a ladle full of mushroom bisque.

How to Store Leftover Mushroom Bisque

Believe it or not, this bisque tastes even better the next day. After the flavors have had time to meld together, they are just out of this world amazing!

  • Refrigerate: This mushroom bisque can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Reheating: Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often to avoid burning on the bottom.
  • In the Freezer: To freeze, prepare as directed, except do not add the cream. When ready to defrost and serve, thaw overnight in the fridge and heat over medium-low heat until steaming. Stir in the cream, stirring off and on for about 10 minutes until it is thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Overhead shot of a bowl of mushroom bisque with a spoon scooping out a bite. Overhead shot of a bowl of mushroom bisque with a spoon scooping out a bite.

More Mushroom Recipes

Mushrooms are delicious and versatile. From adding to burgers or stuffed with sausage, there are a variety of ways that you can serve them! I’ve gathered up some of my favorite mushroom recipes that you’re sure to love!

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  • Add the butter to a 6 or 8-quart Dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the mushrooms. Cook and stir the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they have released a lot of liquid. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.

  • Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions start turning translucent and the garlic is fragrant.

  • Turn the heat back up to medium and stir in the flour. Continue to stir as you cook the flour with the mushroom mixture for 3-4 minutes. It will get clumpy and stick together, which is alright.

  • Slowly stir in the broth, ensuring the mixture doesn’t clump up too much as you add it.

  • Add the cream and stir until combined.

  • Carefully ladle the soup into a high-speed blender. Place a clean, folded kitchen towel on top to prevent leaking, and then blend the soup on high speed until smooth. This may be split into a few increments if your blender is not big enough for all of the soup at one time.

  • Add the pureed soup back to the pot and simmer over medium-low heat, while stirring intermittently for about 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 5gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 457mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1128IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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