It’s time to get in the cozy fall mood! This healthy creamy roasted mushroom soup has all the warm, sweater and scarf wearing, sitting by the fireplace vibes, without feeling super heavy. It’s perfect for any fall weeknight dinner or as a starter for upcoming holiday parties!
I recently came back from an amazing trip to Scotland. If you haven’t been, definitely add it to your list! The landscape is so dramatic, filled with striking mountains and waterfalls everywhere you look. The hiking there is just amazing!
When it comes to food, Scotland can get a bad rap, but I thought the food was great. But after a week of eating too many fish and chips for dinner, I was craving some vegetables. Luckily, after a cold day of exploring on the beautiful Isle of Skye, I found an amazing restaurant with a roasted mushroom soup that was to die for! It was creamy but light, and I knew I needed to recreate it when I got home.
There are a couple key things that make this recipe so delicious. First are the roasted mushrooms. I use a combination of different wild mushrooms and roast them with thyme and lemon zest for a bit of brightness to the dish. Roasting the mushrooms creates a savory caramelization and makes the soup an umami-rich flavor bomb. Definitely don’t skip this step!
Another key component is the roasted garlic. Mushrooms and garlic go together like…well, mushrooms and garlic! Roasting garlic provides a bit of rich sweetness to the dish as well. It’s actually very easy to roast garlic – simply chop off the top, drizzle some olive oil, and wrap it in foil before baking. The cloves then simply squeeze out of the head and are ready to go!
Once everything is roasted up, make a simple roux with butter, sautéed shallots and flour. This is what helps to make the soup creamy. Wine and chicken broth then get whisked in (don’t worry if the roux looks a little clumpy at first, it will meld together), along with most of the mushrooms and garlic. I like to leave some of the mushrooms whole to stir in at the end, but if you’re not a big fan of whole mushrooms, you can add them all to be blended.
After simmering for 15 minutes, everything gets blended together with an immersion blender. This is my favorite kitchen appliance and well worth the investment so that you never have to transfer hot liquid back and forth to a regular blender ever again. The rest of the mushrooms, fresh chives for some color, and half and half get stirred into the blended soup and you’re done! The half and half helps to keep things healthier than the straight up heavy cream of other mushroom soups.
The result is a umami-rich soup with a bit of brightness from the lemon zest. It’s creamy but not overly heavy and won’t weigh you down. Enjoy as a full meal with a salad and some crusty bread, or this would be perfect as a starter soup for any upcoming holiday dinner parties!
Check out some more healthy soup recipes here!
Wine Pairings for Healthy Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup
- Pinot Noir: A light Pinot Noir is perfect for cutting through the creaminess of the dish without overpowering it, but also highlights the earthy vegetable flavor of the mushrooms.
- Chardonnay: Mushrooms and Chardonnay are a perfect pairing. Make sure to use an oaked Chardonnay so that it can stand up to the heartiness of the dish.
Travel Tips for Scotland
Since this soup was inspired by my trip to Scotland, here are just some of my favorite places to help inspire you for your next trip!
- Isle of Skye: While this highland isle may seem far, it’s well worth the trip. It’s filled with dramatic mountain and ocean cliff landscapes that make for the best views. My favorite hike was to the Old Man of Storr, with its striking rock pillars. Don’t miss the iconic highland cows roaming around, and make sure to visit a scotch whisky distillery like Talisker while you’re there!
- Glencoe: The drive from Loch Lomond to Glencoe might be the most beautiful I’ve ever done, with mountains that seem to pop up out of the landscape. There are beautiful rivers and waterfalls everywhere as well. Simply pick a hike, any hike, and you won’t be disappointed!
- Stirling: If you’re into history, Stirling is a must! The Stirling Castle is one of the most important castles in Scotland and was the location for many battles and pivotal events throughout Scottish history. Once you’ve toured around there, head over to the Wallace Monument to learn about the revolutionary William Wallace (aka Braveheart!) and get some amazing views of Stirling.
- Edinburgh: One of the most beautiful cities I’ve been to, Edinburgh is a great city for wandering and exploring. Check out Calton Hill for some amazing views of the city, then tour around Edinburgh Castle to learn more about Scottish royal history. Walk along the Royal Mile for some good pubs and shopping, or check out Victoria Street to see the road that inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. Finally, finish with a ghost tour at night to learn about the dark and sometimes creepy side of Edinburgh history.
Healthy Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
A creamy but light soup of umami-rich roasted mushrooms and garlic.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms (such as oyster, shiitake and cremini)
- 1 whole head of garlic, outer leaves removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves (about 1 tablespoon)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the top ½ inch off of the head of garlic. Drizzle the top with some olive oil, and wrap the entire head in foil. Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until the garlic cloves easily pop out when squeezed. Set roasted cloves aside.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer in the baking sheet. Mix mushrooms with the olive oil, lemon zest and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Put the sheet into the oven and roast, stirring mushrooms occasionally, for 20-30 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Set mushrooms aside and turn off oven.
- Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and whisk to combine, cooking for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and whisk to combine. Stir in the roasted garlic cloves and 2/3rds of the roasted mushrooms to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth.
- Stir in the remaining mushrooms, the half-and-half, and the chives and bring the soup to a low simmer to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with additional chives on top and enjoy!
- Cook Time: 1 hour
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