January 11, 2026
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which provide us a small commission when used for purchase. Please read my disclosure policy for more information. I am grateful for your support!
I remember when I first arrived in the country and my neighbour Jacky took me mushroom picking. It was wonderful, and we came home with black trumpets, so I only had to hunt down the other two, porcini and chanterelles, at the market to make this wild mushroom soup.
It’s a proper luxurious bowl. And I can promise you the bowls afterwards barely need washing up, they come back to the kitchen squeaky clean, mopped out with crusty baguette, it’s that delicious!
Table of Contents
Where wild mushroom soup comes from
Wild mushroom soup is autumn cooking. Foraging is a national pastime here in France, and every September the woods fill with people carrying baskets, hunting cèpes and girolles through the oak and chestnut like I did with Jacky. What comes home ends up in an omelette, on toast, or in a pot like this one.
As for the wild mushroom soup, the French don’t thicken it with a roux. They let the mushrooms do the work and finish with crème fraîche or a knob of butter whisked in at the end, so the result is silky and cohesive rather than starchy and heavy.
If you’re foraging
There’s nothing quite like making this with mushrooms you found yourself. Autumn foraging for chanterelles and cèpes is one of the great seasonal pleasures here, especially in oak and chestnut woodland where they grow in clusters. A damp September morning, a mushroom foraging knife, a small basket, and it will be soup by evening!
One serious word, though, and then I’ll leave it: only eat what you’re certain of. Several deadly species look convincingly like edible ones, and people get caught out every year. Go with someone experienced the first few times, use a proper field guide, and here’s the useful bit, any French pharmacy will identify your basket for you, free of charge. It’s a lovely tradition and it costs you nothing. If in any doubt at all, buy from the market instead.
Ingredients
- Chanterelles – Golden, fruity, and they hold their shape. Brush them clean rather than washing.
- Porcini – Fresh if you can get them, dried if you can’t (and keep the soaking liquid, it’s liquid gold).
- Black trumpets – A small handful goes a long way. Dark and intensely savoury.
- Butter – For sautéing.
- Shallots and garlic – The gentle aromatic base, softened without colour.
- Thyme – The classic partner to mushrooms.
- Dry white wine – Optional, to deglaze. Plenty of traditional versions skip it.
- Vegetable stock – The body of the soup. A good one matters, or make your own stock.
- Crème fraîche – Stirred in at the end for silkiness.
How to make wild mushroom soup
1. Build the base
Soften the shallots gently in foaming butter with a pinch of salt, no colour, just soft and translucent, then add the garlic and thyme for a minute until fragrant.
2. Sauté the mushrooms
Turn the heat up and add half the mushrooms. They’ll release liquid; let it cook off completely before adding the rest. Season as they go. You want them golden and caramelised, not grey and steamed. This takes 10 to 12 minutes and it can’t be rushed.
3. Simmer and finish
Deglaze with the wine (or just add a splash more stock), scraping up the sticky bits from the base, which are pure flavour. Add the stock (plus any porcini soaking liquid, strained), and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Then decide your texture: leave it chunky, blitz half for body with texture, or blend it smooth for a proper velouté. Stir in the crème fraîche off the boil, taste (it’ll want more salt than you think), and serve with parsley and plenty of bread.
Tools for this recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!
- Use a wide, heavy cocotte that holds even heat, so the mushrooms caramelise instead of steaming, and it goes hob to table.
- Use a hand blender if you want it smooth or half-blended (optional, it’s lovely chunky too).
- Use a sharp knife to trim and slice the mushrooms.
- Use a ladle to serve it into warmed bowls.
Tips for success
- Don’t wash the mushrooms: brush the dirt off with a damp cloth or a vegetable brush instead. Washed mushrooms soak up water and turn soggy, and they’ll never caramelise properly.
- Sauté in batches: half at a time, letting the liquid cook off completely before the next lot. Crowded mushrooms steam instead of browning, and browning is where the flavour lives.
- Keep the porcini soaking liquid: if you’re using dried porcini, strain that soaking water through a sieve lined with kitchen paper (to catch grit) and use it as part of your stock. It’s the most intense mushroom flavour in the kitchen.
- Don’t boil it once the cream’s in: stir the crème fraîche in off the boil and warm it gently. Boiling risks it splitting.
How to store it
- This wild mushroom soup is one of those that genuinely improves overnight, so it’s a good one to make ahead.
- It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, covered, and tastes better on day two once the flavours have properly got acquainted. Reheat it gently, and don’t let it boil once the cream is in, or it can split. If you’re making croûtons, make them fresh when you serve.
- It freezes well too, for up to 3 months, but freeze it before adding the cream if you can, since cream can separate on thawing. Thaw in the fridge, reheat gently, and stir the crème fraîche in at the end.
More soup recipes to try
Variations
- Make it vegan: use olive oil or vegan butter, and finish with oat cream or a spoonful of cashew cream instead of crème fraîche. The mushrooms carry it beautifully.
- Add a splash of sherry or Madeira: instead of white wine, for something deeper and nuttier. Lovely with porcini.
- Add croûtons: garlic croûtons on top make it more substantial and give a bit of crunch.
- Truffle oil: a few drops at the table, if you have it. A little goes a very long way.
- Add a poached egg: a soft egg dropped into the chunky version turns it into a proper supper.
- Chestnut and mushroom: a handful of cooked chestnuts blended in, for a sweeter, more autumnal soup.
FAQ
What mushrooms are best for wild mushroom soup?
A mix. Chanterelles bring a delicate, fruity note and hold their texture, porcini give the deep, meaty backbone, and black trumpets add intense savoury depth. If wild ones aren’t available, use mixed shiitake, oyster and chestnut mushrooms plus rehydrated dried porcini, which is what brings the wild intensity.
Can I use dried mushrooms instead of fresh?
Yes, especially for porcini. Soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes, squeeze them out and chop, then strain the soaking liquid through kitchen paper and use it as part of your stock. That liquid is pure mushroom flavour and shouldn’t be thrown away.
Why is my mushroom soup watery or bland?
Almost always because the mushrooms weren’t sautéed properly. They need to be cooked in butter over a good heat, in batches, until golden and caramelised before any liquid goes in. Crowd the pan and they steam, and you lose most of the flavour.
Should I wash wild mushrooms?
No. Brush the dirt off with a damp cloth or a soft brush and trim any woody ends. Mushrooms are like sponges, so washing them means they soak up water, go soggy, and won’t caramelise.
Can I make mushroom soup ahead of time?
Yes, it’s better for it. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and tastes better the next day. Reheat gently without boiling once the cream is in. It also freezes for 3 months, ideally before the cream goes in, then stir that through when you reheat.
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 35 minutes 
Total Time 55 minutes 
Servings 4Description
Ingredients
- 400 gr chanterelles
- 150 gr porcini
- 50 gr black trumpet mushrooms
- 50 gr unsalted butter
- 2 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 100 ml dry white wine optional
- 1 l vegetable stock
- 150 ml crème fraîche or double cream
- handful flat-leaf parsley
- salt and black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
1. Prepare the mushrooms
- Brush off any dirt with a damp cloth (don't wash them). Trim woody ends. Leave small chanterelles whole or tear larger ones; slice the porcini; leave the trompettes whole. If using dried porcini, soak in 500ml boiling water for 30 minutes, squeeze out and chop, and strain the soaking liquid through a paper-lined sieve to use as stock.
2. Build the base
- Melt the butter in the cocotte over medium heat. When foaming, add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook gently 5 to 6 minutes until soft, without colouring. Add the garlic and thyme for a minute.
3. Sauté the mushrooms
- Turn up to medium-high and add half the mushrooms. Let their liquid cook off completely before adding the rest. Season well. Cook 10 to 12 minutes total, until golden and caramelised.
4. Deglaze and simmer (optional wine step)
- Add the wine (or 100ml extra stock) and bubble 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the sticky bits. Add the stock (and any porcini liquid), bring to a simmer, and cook gently for 20 minutes.
5. Blend (or don't)
- Leave it chunky (fish out the thyme stalks), blitz half for body with texture, or blend smooth for a velouté.
6. Finish
- Off the boil, stir in the crème fraîche. Taste and season, it'll need more salt than you expect.
7. Serve
- Ladle into warmed bowls, scatter with parsley, and add garlic croûtons if you like. Serve with plenty of bread.
Notes
- Chanterelles: Delicate, slightly fruity, golden colour, the star of French wild mushroom cookery
- Porcini: Rich, meaty, deeply earthy, provides the backbone of flavour
- Black trumpets (trompettes de la mort): Intensely flavoured despite the morbid name, and adds depth
- The soup keeps well for 3-4 days in the fridge and actually tastes better the next day once the flavours have had time to get properly acquainted. Reheat gently and make fresh croûtons when serving.
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
