Cream of Mushroom Soup with Crispy Leeks

This Cream of Mushroom Soup with Crispy Leeks is a very easy soup recipe for a weeknight meal because it comes together in under 30 minutes or less. It’s also gluten-free and easy to veganize too!

The crowning glory is the mound of crispy leeks on top, which are so flavorful and pretty. They are a great gluten-free alternative to croutons. But dare I say, even better tasting!

Recipe Pairing:

This soup also pairs really well with my Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe or my Croque Monsieur Recipe or some tasty Parmesan Encrusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• It’s the perfect light, yet hearty soup recipe that makes for a fantastic lunch or dinner option. Or add leftover rice to make it even heartier.
• It’s also easy to omit the butter and cream, and use veggie stock to make it a vegan cream of mushroom soup which is equally delicious!
• It’s freezes well too! Make a big batch and portion it out into individual serving containers to microwave when reheating.

When Homemade is Worth the Effort

• There are certain recipes that will also taste better homemade. Like pasta sauces, hot fudge sauce, waffles, and homemade mushroom soup is definitely on that list!
• It’s nothing like the canned varieties. The flavors are much more pronounced without any of the heaviness.
• Especially during the colder months, you’ll love how heartwarming and earthy it is.
• It feels like a warm cozy blanket on a cold winter’s day.

Watch my Video Demo of this Recipe Below!

Step#1: Saute the Vegetables

• I always take the time to saute the vegetables first, it brings out the best flavors while allowing them to marry.
• The combination of the leeks, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme gives this soup a fantastic depth of flavor.

Time Saving Tip!

• I like to use the pre-sliced cremini mushrooms from Trader Joe’s because it makes this soup even easier!
• No slicing involved and it cuts down the prep time in half! 
• But you could also use white button mushrooms and slice them yourself if needed.

Step#2: Add the Broth

• For this soup, I typically use chicken broth, but you could easily swap it for vegetable broth.
• Since the vegetables are already cooked through, you’ll only need to simmer the broth until it’s hot.

Step#3: Blending the Soup

• Once you saute up the vegetables and heat the broth, all you need to do is blend it up.
• And seriously that’s it! It’s almost like a veggie smoothie it’s that easy!
• This is why I love this soup for a weeknight meal.
• You could leave your soup a bit chunky if you wish for a more rustic texture, but I prefer to take it all the way to a smooth puree.

Step#4: Transfer the Soup and Season

• Once the soup is blended to your liking, transfer it into a clean soup pot and season with salt and pepper.
• Then I also like to add a dash of heavy cream at this stage too, along with some additional freshly chopped thyme.

Add Chicken To Make It a Hearty Meal

At this stage, you could also add some shredded rotisserie chicken to make this soup a heartier meal. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken from a Sunday dinner, or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make it even easier.

How To Make The Crispy Leek Garnish

• The best part of this soup is the crispy leeks on top, they add so much flavor and a little bit of texture.
• They are also really easy to do! Leeks are an often overlooked vegetable but add so much flavor.
• They are particularly good in my Potato and Leek Soup Recipe, another great soup recipe to try.

Make-Ahead Tip:

You could make the mushroom soup a day or so before, re-heat it, and then all you would have to do is fry the leeks before serving.

Slice off the white parts of the leeks, you can reserve the green parts for soup stock. Just pop them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze them until ready to use.

Slice the white part of the leek in half and then create thinly sliced matchsticks of leeks. Place them in a skillet with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and allow them to fry until crispy.

How to Get the Crispiest Leeks

• Resist the temptation to toss them too much. They do better if you can allow them to fry untouched for a few minutes, only turning them once they get some nice color on them.
• These crispy leeks are also a great addition to an omelet, along with a little Gruyere cheese, it’s a fantastic flavor combination that also works well in my Mini Quiche Recipe too.

Ladle out your soup into a soup tureen and let everyone serve themselves! This is also a fun idea for a soup buffet for game day or award show season too!

More Great Soup Recipes!

• White Chicken Chili Soup
• Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
• Roasted Tomato Eggplant Soup
• Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Please let me know if you make this recipe

by leaving a rating and review below