I’m kicking myself for not calling this post “Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup for a Crowd”!
I tell you what – if you find yourself hosting a slew of family and friends over the holidays, you’ll want to keep this recipe in your back pocket. It makes for a hearty meal that comes together seamlessly and will comfortably feed the aunties, cousins and neighbors who make their way to your busy table. And, oh yeah – it’s delicious!
This Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup with a tasty autumn salad and a wedge of rosemary focaccia (<—- foreshadow), will do the trick!
I have a story for you.
Dom and I were recently in Lake Placid, and rather than run all over town from one activity to the next, we used a good measure of our time to decompress. We had some nice meals, drank plenty of coffee and fell head over heels into the books we brought along. Dom was reading Younger Next Year by Crowley & Lodge, and I, finally, after many many years of looking at it on my bookshelf, brought Virginia Woolf’s, A Room of One’s Own. Have you guys read it? Anyway – my story is not to share my review of this brilliant book (which – really – it’s Virginia Woolf – no words), but to attempt to convey the emotional response I had as a result of a sentence. Yes, a sentence. One sentence.
So, I’m reading along in my amber lit room with candles flickering and the aromas of pine and strong coffee teaming up and working very hard to lull me to sleep, when all of a sudden, on page 18, I run into it. Literally. I run into the words, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” OH MY GOD! You would have thought, based on my reaction, that Beyoncé was at the door. Literally – my heart raced, my stomach fluttered – I was in the company of greatness. I mean – I know this sentence. I’ve known it for many years. I’ve shared that quote on multiple occasions. And I also know it comes from Virginia. But what I didn’t know was that it came from this book. So as I was reading along – and it suddenly appears – it was like seeing an old friend who also happens to be a rock star. Do you know what I mean?
I don’t know the last time I had a physical reaction to a sentence quite like this. I wanted to interrupt Dom to say, “Hey, you’ll never guess who I just ran into! Well, not who, I guess, kind of…I mean – it’s a sentence. I ran into a sentence. But it’s a famous sentence. And it’s a sentence I love and I believe in. It’s the Beyoncé of sentences.”
But I didn’t interrupt his reading. I kept it to myself until now.
So as I pondered this Beyoncé sentence – and what ‘dining well’ means to me – I had the vision of a rich and flavorful meal, enough to feed a crowd. And this soup (a recipe I learned long ago in one of my infamous community ed. courses) came to me.
And that’s my story.
Question: If you were challenged to pair a meal in honor of that rock star sentence…what would it be? I’d love to know!
Buon Appetito!
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Homemade Cream Of Mushroom Soup
- Category: Dinner
Description
I’m kicking myself for not calling this post “Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup for a Crowd”!
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup butter, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 large green pepper, diced
- 3 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 6 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 9 cups whole milk
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot, sauté garlic in 2 tablespoons butter.
- Add onion, celery and green pepper; sauté until tender.
- Add mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
- In a saucepan, melt remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth.
- Gradually stir in milk.
- Cook and stir over low heat until mixture comes to a boil; boil for 2 minutes while continuing to stir.
- Add to mushroom mixture.
- Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Serve and season each bowl, to taste.
CIAO!
I love this post, Annie! Can you believe I’ve never read anything by Virginia Woolf? That sentence explains my very existence. It’s hard for me to pick one meal to go with it, but I’m thinking of our Christmas Eve seafood feast, with octopus sauce over our linguine, then all the shrimp, calamari, greens, etc. Your soup looks so delicious and comforting!
Thank you so much, Andrea!! I recommend this book! And can you believe we have never done the ‘seafood feast’ for Christmas Eve? Never. I need to get on that because what you’re describing is too good not to! Thank you, my friend! xo
Oh, you must try the seafood feast! The octopus sauce is a “vault recipe,” so it’s not on my blog, but I’ve posted the fried shrimp, fried calamari, rapini, and the escarole. We also do a seafood salad that I’ve never posted.
Wow! I don’t know – this just might be the year!! You’ve certainly inspired me with all these dishes!!
Mushroom soup is my favorite kind of soup. And this season of rain and cold and wind, early darkness, requires something outrageously warming like mushroom soup. This one sounds good enough to forego the sherry i usually add. Many thanks.
Mmmm…sherry… I’m sure your recipe is divine! Thank you, Robin!!
Forget the crowd! This is a soup I want to keep all to myself. GREG
I hear you! It’s difficult to resist eating the entire pot!! Thanks, Greg!
I love this story! I can just see you bolting upright, looking around, thinking…I’ve got to share this NOW! This soup looks wonderful and would definitely fit the Eat Well requirement!
You know it!! hahaha! Definitely fits the bill! Thanks, Kathy!!
There’s nothing like hot soup on a cold, rainy night!
I think I can replace chicken broth with vegetable broth since I am a vegetarian…
Awesome share Annie.
Oh, definitely! Enjoy!! 🙂
That is a fantastic story! Virginia Woolf is amazing. I have that kind of reaction when I read Oscar wilde. ? This soup is definitely the definition of dining well!
Thank you, Amanda! 🙂
Good for you, Annie – everyone needs some time to decompress and a lovely trip is a great way to do it. And love, love this soup – I’m a big mushroom fan and for some reason I never make soup – so will definitely try this. Have a great relaxing weekend!
Lake Placid brings out the ‘relax’ in us! Thank you, my friend! Have a great weekend!
Ohh Annie, for me it would be a bowl of hot soup, ANY type of soup but your looks rather appealing to say the least! loved your story! have a great weekend my friend!
Awh! Thanks, Gaila!! Oh yes – soup is where it’s at! Especially as these days grow colder! Have a great weekend! 🙂
That sentence is everything! If I had to pair it with a meal it would probably what our 4 year old daughter has named “Steak Sunday”. The whole family comes over to our house on Sunday nights for grilled steaks, its a great way to end the weekend with lots of laughter and sometimes the occasional family drama, lol. Now this soup! Mushroom soup is one of my all time favorites, I can’t imagine a more soothing, comforting soup and all those mushrooms! Im in heaven. Have a great weekend! Take care.
Steak Sunday?! I could get behind that!! That’s a perfect way to end the week, I’d say! Thanks, my friend! Have a lovely weekend!
I love mushrooms dishes so much, but mushroom soups are probably my very favourite ones! This is such a delicious recipe too, thanks for the inspo 🙂
Pinned of course!
So happy you like it! Thanks for the pin, Evi!! 🙂
Hi Annie, what a lovely story and recipe. I haven’t read the book yet, but you gave me a reason to go and get it at once! 😉 To answer your question, if I had to feed a ‘crowd’ I’d probably make a big pot of ‘Gulasch’, which is comfort food with a big Austrian-Hungarian legacy. ?
Have a lovely weekend, my friend! Simone
Oh yes! I can see that!! All the comfort in one big bowl!! Thank you, friend! 🙂
Now that is quite a challenge you’ve given us — what meal to pair with that sentence. First of all, I have to confess that since being stuck with Hurricane Matthew I think of soup; I dream of soup; I crave soup. Not just ordinary soup. Nope! It has to be homemade and heart and tummy warming. We will be back home next week and the first thing we’re doing is making soup!! The meal I would select with that sentence is our pasta with our Bolognese sauce. I nice red wine, a simple salad with vinaigrette and our ciabatta bread. Your mushroom soup recipe is being pinned. We are definitely making it. Abbracci, amica!
Oh, I can imagine your dreams of hearty soups and cheese-y pastas –> all the comforts after that storm! And I could make an entire meal out of your ciabatta bread! Thanks, my friend! Safe travels home!
Well now I have to cruise on over to Amazon and order A Room of One’s Own, because no I haven’t read it. But YES I have seen that quote many a times. I loved reading you talk about that quote, it made me giggle – the Beyonce of sentences. 🙂 I have NO clue what I’d make to pair a meal in honor of a rock star sentence… but I’m thinking you NAILED it with this soup!! Homemade cream of mushroom is such a delicious classic and yours looks absolutely PERFECT, Annie! Like Campbells need to hault production on their line, hire you and start making your version. THAT kind of perfect! Obviously I need to make this pronto! Pinned! Cheers, my dear – to soup twinning! xoxoxo
The book is a GEM! So happy I finally read it – and I can’t wait to read it again! But truly – is it not the Beyoncé of sentences? hahaha! Could you please call Campbell’s for me? We’ll go in as a team! Thanks, my friend! Let’s hear it for soup!! Cheers! XOXO
this looks so comforting Annie, I love it 🙂
Thank you, my friend!! 🙂
omg I love this post so much… “I ran into a sentence.” I can seriously relate to this!! I would also want to tell my husband right away and he’d be like “um, OK?” Anyway, I could think well, love well, and sleep well after enjoying this soup!! It’s gorgeous 🙂
Awhhh! Thank you so much, Sues! I’m glad to see that you can relate to this! Hhahaha! Still, when I think about that moment – I laugh! 🙂
This Looks wonderful! Homemade soup is the best route especially mushroom!
And can you believe there was once a day that I didn’t like mushrooms?! Now I’m like – I want all the mushrooms! Thank you, Mary!!
Love Virginia Woolf and that book was one of my favorites! And I love your homemade cream of mushroom soup! It looks beautiful and it tastes even better! As for the meal, I don’t know, there are so many I’d choose, but certainly a “primo piatto”, maybe homemade ravioli or tortelli. Thanks for sharìng!
Oh – yes! I love this book! Mmmm – I agree – homemade pasta always always!! Thank you, Nicoletta!!
I’ll have to think on that one Annie because they’re are so many meals it could be!! I’d loved to start with this mushroom soup though. Tom and I both LOVE mushroom soup. All soups are comfort food for me but mushroom soup is at the top of the list. I love that your recipe is fit for a crowd. Perfect for weekend fall get togethers! Happy weekend!
I know – there are so many meals and so little time! haha! Thanks, my friend! I hope you guys have a chance to try this one out! XO
‘It’s the Beyoncé of sentences’…bahahaha! So funny, Annie! It is, though, a great quote. There’s a fabulous local pizza place around here that has the VPN certification for their pizza making and they use that quote too. Such a great one, isn’t it?
You probably know that I love mushroom soup and this one looks fabulous! It looks so creamy, dreamy and I just want a BIG bowl in front of me, like, right now! Love the addition of nutmeg 🙂 Pinned, of course. Have a fantastic weekend, my friend. xo
It is a great quote! Especially when it sneaks up on you! hahaha! 😉 The nutmeg makes all the difference! Thanks, friend!! XO
Cream of mushroom soup is a favorite of mine, and homemade is even better! You are reminding me that it’s been way too long since I’ve made my own. I’m loving your version, Annie! I wish I could cozy up to a bowl of this today, as it’s finally getting cooler around here!
It’s cool here, too! This post was perfect timing! Thanks, Gayle! 🙂