Mushroom Soup with Sour Cream
Dried mushrooms simmered with soup vegetables and finished with a sour cream and flour thickener — a simple, deeply flavored home-style soup.
Quick Summary
A rehydrated dried mushroom soup built on sautéed root vegetables, simmered in water, and finished with a sour cream and flour slurry for body. About 50 minutes active time plus soaking. No extra seasoning needed — the mushrooms carry the flavor.
Historical recipe
Modernised adaptation of an early 20th‑century source. Not independently kitchen-tested by Attic Recipes. Quantities, temperatures, and food safety guidance have been updated for a contemporary kitchen — results may vary and errors may exist. Nutritional values, where provided, are estimates only and have not been laboratory tested. Always follow current food safety guidelines for your region. If you have a health condition, allergy, or dietary requirement, consult a qualified professional before preparing this recipe.
Use of this recipe is entirely at your own risk and subject to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Attic Recipes accepts no liability for any adverse outcome.
- Dairy
- Gluten
- Celery
- 1
Cover the dried mushrooms with lukewarm water. Cover the bowl and let them soften for about 30 minutes.
Tip If the soaking liquid looks gritty, strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth before adding it to the pot. - 2
Heat the oil (or lard, or butter) in a large pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the diced carrot, parsley root, and celery root. Sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- 4
Purée the sautéed vegetables — pass them through a sieve or food mill, or blend briefly — then return them to the pot.
Tip This step breaks the vegetables down into the soup base rather than leaving them in distinct pieces. - 5
Pour in the water, add the softened mushrooms (and their strained soaking liquid, if using), and the salt. Bring to a simmer.
- 6
Simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the soup has developed flavor.
- 7
Whisk the sour cream and flour together until smooth. Ladle a little hot soup into the mixture to temper it, then stir it back into the pot.
Tip Tempering prevents the sour cream from splitting when it hits the hot liquid. - 8
Simmer for 2-3 minutes more, until slightly thickened. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information per 1 portion (approx 460g)
Nutritional values are approximate estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot with crusty bread. A small spoonful of extra sour cream on top adds richness without extra seasoning.
About This Recipe
This is a soup built almost entirely on technique rather than a long ingredient list: dried mushrooms rehydrated in lukewarm water, a base of pureed root vegetables, and a light sour cream and flour finish for body. It’s the kind of soup that stretches a small amount of dried mushroom into something that tastes like it simmered all day.
The choice between oil, lard, and butter as the starting fat reflects how flexible early 20th century home cooking could be — recipes were often written around what was actually in the pantry that week, not a fixed ingredient list.
Why It Works
Pureeing the sautéed vegetables before adding the water is what gives this soup its body without any added starch beyond the final flour thickener. It’s a technique that turns a handful of diced vegetables into a smooth base rather than a chunky broth, and it means the sour cream finish only needs to add richness, not thickness on its own.
Modern Kitchen Tips
Strain the mushroom soaking liquid before adding it to the pot — dried mushrooms often carry grit that settles at the bottom of the soaking bowl. Temper the sour cream and flour mixture with a ladle of hot soup before stirring it in fully; this keeps it from splitting.
A classic of early 20th century home cooking, preserved and adapted for the modern kitchen.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Historical Context
Early 20th century recipes for this dish typically offered a choice of cooking fat — oil, lard, or butter — leaving the decision to the cook's pantry and preference. The soup vegetables were not given a fixed weight; a standard soup mix of carrot, parsley root, and celery root was assumed. Home cooks of the period finished the soup with a simple sour cream and flour mixture, and served it without further seasoning beyond salt.
Modern Kitchen Adaptation
The three fat options from the original (oil, lard, or butter) have been standardized to an equal weight so the recipe is consistent regardless of which is chosen. The soup vegetable mix, soaking time for the mushrooms, salt, and overall cooking time were not specified in the original and have been estimated based on standard practice for this type of soup — all marked as estimated above. Sour cream is specified at 18-20% fat for predictable results; a lower-fat sour cream may be more prone to splitting even with tempering.
This recipe is an independent modern adaptation developed from historical sources in the public domain. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary, nutritional, or medical advice. Food preparation involves inherent risks. The reader assumes full responsibility for safe food handling, ingredient sourcing, and adherence to current local food safety guidelines. The site operator accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the preparation or consumption of this recipe.
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