It’s so interesting how polarizing certain ingredients can be. Pickles, olives, salami…these are just a couple of the ingredients we hated when we were growing up, but have (thankfully) come to see are actually amazing and delicious. Those foods, plus one more, were things we never would have dained to eat, but now crave on a weekly basis. What’s the other controversial food, you’re wondering? Mushrooms. Oh man, did we hate mushrooms…but somewhere along the way, we came to realize that they’re not slimy, icky earth stumps – sometimes they can be – but they can also actually be totally amazing.

With the understanding of their true greatness we set out to make the thickest, creamiest mushroom soup we could – a bulked up, homemade cream of mushroom soup, if you will. And we did. This soup is packed full of flavor while still letting the mushrooms be the star of the show. It’s fine if you serve this as a side dish, but it’s hearty enough to be the main event, served with some crusty bread for scooping. Yum. The base of this soup is pretty typical, with sautéed onion, celery and carrot, then you’ll add in a pound and a half of baby ‘bellas or cremini mushrooms; it seems like a lot at first, but it all cooks down into a delicious pile of veggies that you’ll then season with thyme, sage and rosemary – plus a little white wine for a bit more flavor and to make sure you get all the tasty browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

While the shrooms and other veggies make up the heart of the soup, it’s all about adding in the roux, which acts as the main thickener and makes this soup as hearty and luscious as possible. A roux is a simple mixture, comprised of flour stirred into melted butter, which is transformed into a bechamel by pouring milk or cream into it, then cooking until it thickens. This makes all the difference, you guys. The soup is ridiculously delicious, and we’re positive that it will convince the mushroom haters in your life (and those on the fence) that mushrooms can be incredibly yummy when they’re prepared well. You’ll be hooked once you make this, you’ll see!