Recipes › Soup › Italian Porcini Mushroom Soup Recipe

Italian Porcini Mushroom Soup Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

This Italian porcini mushroom soup captures the earthy elegance of dried porcini, rehydrated to release their deep umami into a silky broth enriched with cream and fresh herbs. A beloved autumn staple across central Italy, this soup showcases the region's reverence for wild mushrooms and simple, quality ingredients. Warm, comforting, and ready in under an hour, it's the perfect starter for any Italian meal.

Ingredients

• 30g (1 oz) dried porcini mushrooms
• 750ml (25 fl oz) vegetable or chicken stock
• 200ml (7 fl oz) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 200g (7 oz) fresh cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 100ml (3.4 fl oz) dry white wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour 250ml (8.5 fl oz) of hot water over them. Let soak for 15 minutes until softened. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the soaking liquid. Roughly chop the rehydrated porcini.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 4 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally.

3. Add minced garlic and fresh cremini mushroom slices to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown.

4. Deglaze the pot with white wine, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the chopped rehydrated porcini, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, vegetable stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 12 minutes.

6. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

7. Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top each serving with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.

Substitutions

• Use whole milk or half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter version with reduced fat content
• Substitute vegetable stock with mushroom stock for deeper umami flavor
• Replace thyme with sage or marjoram for a different herbaceous note
• Omit cream entirely and blend half the soup with an immersion blender for a creamier texture without dairy

Tips

• Do not discard the porcini soaking liquid—it contains concentrated mushroom flavor and should be strained and added to the broth for maximum depth
• Fresh mushrooms can be sliced up to 2 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator; add them just before cooking to prevent excess liquid loss
• For a rustic presentation, leave some mushroom pieces visible; for a more refined soup, blend half the finished soup with an immersion blender

Porcini mushroom soup is a signature dish in Piedmont and Tuscany, regions where wild mushroom foraging remains a cherished tradition. The dried porcini represents the Italian practice of preserving seasonal abundance for year-round use, transforming humble ingredients into something deeply satisfying.

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