Asian Inspired Mushroom and Onion Soup
Memoirs Of An Airline Lounge
Asian Inspired Mushroom and Onion Soup is a rich and decadent, brothy soup with the savory flavors of roasted onions and the earthy flavors of mushrooms. This soup is brought together by adding soy sauce, pepper, paprika, fresh ginger, and more to make a blissful and creamy experience.
I was inspired to make this soup after having it in the American Airlines Admirals Club, which is a lounge they have in some airports. They offer this soup in most of them as a delicious vegetarian option.
They serve it kept warm in a kettle and then next to it they serve all kinds of toppings like vegetables, tofu, and crispy crunch things. My recipe for this Asian Inspired Mushroom and Onion Soup has fewer toppings but you can offer or add as many as you like.
There’s a full recipe card at the end of the post, but first I’ve got some tips and pics to make your soup as savory as can be.
Sauté Away
A lot of mushroom soup recipes have you add the mushrooms whole and uncooked to the broth to simmer away. While that method is good, sautéing the mushrooms first, then seasoning, adds such a layer of rich flavor.
Mushrooms also need to cook out a lot of the liquid in them otherwise they can add a slimy texture. This step adds a rich, deep color to the mushrooms which gives the broth such a rich and deep flavor and color as well.
Use A Variety Of Onions
The different onions in this recipe add different notes to the soup broth. I like to use a mix of white, sweet, and yellow onions for this soup.
All the different flavor profiles add a lot of layers to the soup that make it extra special.
Onions Are Good For You
Onions have many great heath benefits as well. I have heard that onions are good for heart and gut health as well as eye health, bone health, and they contain potassium!
This broth may have you feeling really good after eating it! I recently posted another onion recipe for a delicious Baked Buttery Onion.
If this soup puts you in an onion frame of mind, then make the baked onions as well!
An Itty Bitty Shortcut
I am a huge lover of Better Than Bouillon. I think it helps add so much flavor to your recipes without tasting just like salt.
I can get this brand in most any grocery store. I use the vegetable variety for this soup and I also love the roasted chicken option for my Dumpling Soup and the lobster one for my Poor Man’s Lobster Pasta.
Immerse Yourself
One tool that I cannot live without is my immersion blender. I LOVE this thing.
I received this one as a gift probably twenty years ago and literally use it weekly. It is perfect for making salad dressings and sauces and this one also acts as a mini food processor.
I will link one similar to the one I have here on Amazon.
*This is an Amazon affiliate link which means that Amazon pays me a small commission if you use the link, but there is no obligation to you.*
Blending up this broth just adds a layer of texture to this soup that is silky, but it is not absolutely necessary for this soup to be good.
You can use a blender or just leave the soup chunky.
Asian Inspired Mushroom and Onion Soup Recipe
A delicious and comforting umami delight in a bowl. Topped with micro greens and chive for a peppery bite in every spoonful.
Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 lbs of Cremini Mushrooms (or any mushroom of your choice)
- 6 medium to large sized onions, I used a mix of yellow, Vidalia, and white onions
- 4 whole shallots
- 4 to 6 tablespoons of salted butter
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce (divided)
- 3 bunches of green onions
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger
- 2 cans of sliced water chestnuts
- paprika
- garlic salt
- black pepper
- dried tarragon
- onion powder
- 1/4 cup of chives
- 2 cups of micro-greens
- 2 heaping tablespoons of vegetable bouillon
- 12 cups of water
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat two tablespoons of butter, wipe your mushrooms down with a damp paper towel, remove the stems and rough chop the mushrooms and add to the butter. Sauté WITHOUT seasoning for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated from the pan.
- While the mushrooms cook, add the rest of the butter to a soup pot, clean and chop your onions into larger pieces. Also chop the shallots after you peel them. Add the onions, shallots and garlic to the butter in the soup pot. Sauté and season. I do not use measurements, I give the whole thing a sprinkle of the garlic salt, black pepper and onion powder, toss to coat and season again. I use about a teaspoon of paprika and 2 to 3 teaspoons of tarragon. Add those sparingly and taste and adjust to know how much you like. Let this mixture cook , stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until it is all golden brown and soft.
- Meanwhile when the mushrooms have cooked down and are dark brown, add the same seasonings to the mushrooms the same way you did the onions, taste and add more seasoning if needed. Then add one tablespoon of the soy sauce and sauté until absorbed into the mushrooms.
- Add the mushrooms to the soup pot with the onions and shallots and garlic. Dissolve the vegetable bouillon in hot water and add to the pot. Then add the remaining water so this equals 12 cups. Bring this to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cover. Stir occasionally and simmer on low two hours. You can also add this all at this point to a slow cooker and let it cook on low up to 8 hours.
- At the 2 hour mark you are going to use an immersion blender to blend the mushrooms and onions into a purée to thicken the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender you can use a blender or food processor, work in batches and add back to the pot. IF you do not have any of those things you can leave the mushrooms and onions whole. This will still be good, I just prefer them puréed because I am a texture person. You can also strain the mushrooms and onions out of this, and finely chop them as they cool and add them to the broth.
- When you have step 5 done whichever way you process this, you are going to add the remaining soy sauce, slice ALL the green onions and add them to the broth as well as the fresh ginger and the two cans of drained, sliced water chestnuts. Let this simmer 30 minutes more uncovered or one hour in the slow cooker, covered.
- Serve topped with the micro greens, sliced chives and you can also do bamboo shoots.