Sweet Tomatoes Cream of Mushroom Soup
This Copycat Sweet Tomatoes Cream of Mushroom Soup recreates the nostalgic restaurant favorite with tender sliced mushrooms, celery and a silky broth made with whole milk and half-and-half. It’s also known as Souplantation Cream of Mushroom Soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 Minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: SOUP
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: copycat recipe
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 6½ tablespoons salted butter, divided
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper, plus more to taste
- 4½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3¼ cups water
- 1 tablespoon concentrated beef base
- 1 tablespoon concentrated chicken base
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Salt, to taste
- Finely chopped parsley, optional for serving
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, chopped celery and white pepper. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the mushrooms have released their liquid.
- Transfer the mushrooms, celery and all their cooking liquid to a bowl. Do not drain the vegetables.
- Return the pot to medium heat and melt the remaining 2½ tablespoons of butter.
- Add the flour and whisk until a smooth roux forms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking frequently, to remove the raw flour taste without browning the roux.
- Slowly pour in the water, approximately ½ cup at a time, whisking well after each addition to prevent lumps.
- Whisk in the beef base and chicken base. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth begins to thicken.
- Stir in the whole milk, half-and-half, cooked mushrooms, celery and all the reserved vegetable liquid.
- Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is hot and creamy. Do not allow it to boil after adding the dairy.
- Taste and add salt or additional white pepper as needed. Garnish with a small amount of chopped parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
- White button mushrooms provide the flavor and appearance closest to the restaurant-style soup. Baby bella mushrooms can be substituted for a deeper mushroom flavor.
- Do not discard the liquid released by the mushrooms. It adds important flavor to the finished soup.
- Wait until the end to add salt because concentrated chicken and beef bases can be salty.
- For a vegetarian version, replace both meat bases with concentrated vegetable or mushroom base.
- If the soup becomes too thick, stir in additional milk or water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Reheat leftovers gently over low heat. Do not boil dairy-based soup because it may separate.
- This is a copycat recipe inspired by the Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation restaurant soup. It is not an official restaurant recipe.