Name: Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 300 min
Ingredients: 4 cups boiling water; 2 cups dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce; 0.625 teaspoon kosher salt; 0.5 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cups sliced shallots (about 8 ounces); 1 garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon); 1 cup dry sherry; 3 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shiitake and button), sliced; 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme; 0.33333334326744 cup heavy cream

Prep Time:

20 mins

Additional Time:

4 hrs 40 mins

Total Time:

5 hrs

Servings:

Yield:

12 servings

Nutrition Profile:

Low-Carb Diabetes-Appropriate Low-Sodium Vegetarian

Jump to Nutrition Facts

What Type of Mushrooms Should I Use?

For a full-flavored, umami-rich soup, we use a combination of dried porcini mushrooms and assorted fresh mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shiitake and button). Porcini mushrooms are wild mushrooms foraged from forests where pine, hemlock and oak trees grow. They have a meaty flavor similar to shiitake mushrooms but are not quite as sharp. Dried porcini mushrooms are available in most places where dried mushrooms are sold, or you can find dried porcini online. Read more about porcini mushrooms and why they add so much flavor to any meal.

Ingredient Spotlight: Porcini Mushrooms

Dried porcini mushrooms are a key ingredient, providing two elements to the soup. First, the dried mushrooms are soaked in 2 cups of boiling water until softened. The soaking liquid is full of flavor, so don't throw it out. It's added to the base of the soup, giving it a boost of umami and depth. Then the rehydrated mushrooms are added to the soup along with the assorted fresh mushrooms, which lend an earthy and rich mushroom flavor.

How to Thicken the Soup

Puréeing only some of the slow-cooker mushroom soup gives the dish a complex texture and thickens the soup slightly. We transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender, blend it until smooth and then add the puréed soup back to the slow cooker. If you want a thicker soup, feel free to blend more than 2 cups. If you don't have a countertop blender, you can use an immersion blender to thicken the soup.

How to Store Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry

This soup can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, you can microwave the soup on High until warm.

Additional reporting by Jan Valdez

Ingredients

4 cups boiling water
2 cups dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
⅝ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced shallots (about 8 ounces)
1 garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 cup dry sherry
3 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shiitake and button), sliced
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
⅓ cup heavy cream

Directions

Pour 2 cups of the boiling water over the porcini mushrooms. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain the porcini mushrooms in a colander over a bowl, reserving the mushroom broth; set the mushrooms aside. Strain the mushroom broth through a cheesecloth-lined colander into a bowl; discard the solids. Stir in the cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, pepper and remaining 2 cups boiling water into the mushroom broth; set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sherry; bring to a boil, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
Stir together the porcini mushrooms, broth mixture, shallot mixture, fresh mushrooms and thyme in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until the vegetables are very tender and the flavors blend, about 4 hours. Uncover and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure the lid on the blender. Place a clean towel over the opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Return the puréed soup to the slow cooker; gently stir in the cream. Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve hot.

Equipment

Slow cooker

Tips

Multicooker directions: Use the SAUTÉ [Normal] function in place of a nonstick skillet for Steps 5-7, if desired. In Step 8, stir in the porcini mushrooms, broth mixture, shallot mixture, fresh mushrooms and thyme. Lock the lid; turn the pressure valve to "Venting." Cook on SLOW COOK [More] until the vegetables are very tender and the flavors blend, about 4 hours. Turn off the cooker. Remove the lid; press SAUTÉ [Normal], and cook uncovered, stirring often, until slightly thickened. Turn off the cooker. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return the puréed soup to the pot; gently stir in the cream.

Originally appeared: Cooking Light Everyday Slow Cooker; updated November 2022

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

101	Calories
5g	Fat
11g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Serving Size about 3/4 cup
Calories 101
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g	10%
Total Fat 5g	6%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Sodium 173mg	8%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.