Introduction

You don’t need hard-to-find ingredients to make a great mushroom soup. Button, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms are easy to pick up in Malaysia, and with a few pantry staples, you can turn them into a comforting bowl of soup. Whether you prefer a rich, creamy soup or a light, flavourful broth, these recipes keep things simple and delicious.

1. Asian-Style Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Hearty and comforting, this Asian-style chicken and mushroom soup combines tender chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables in a savoury broth. Carrots, potatoes, garlic, onion, and soy sauce add sweetness and depth, making it a satisfying meal on its own or served with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 500g bone-in chicken pieces
• 200g shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 litre chicken stock or water
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 spring onion, chopped, for garnish (optional)

How to Prepare

1. Prepare the ingredients: Wash the mushrooms and pat them dry. Slice the mushrooms and carrot, dice the potato and yellow onion, and mince the garlic.
2. Sauté the aromatics: Heat the cooking oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and garlic, then sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Brown the chicken: Add the bone-in chicken pieces and cook for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally to lightly brown the outside.
4. Add the mushrooms and stock: Stir in the mushrooms, then pour in the chicken stock or water and add the light soy sauce. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
5. Simmer the soup: Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes to allow the chicken to release its flavour into the broth.
6. Add the vegetables: Stir in the carrot and potato. Continue simmering for another 15–20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
7. Season the broth: Stir in the sesame oil and season with white pepper and salt to taste.
8. Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped spring onions if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice.

2. Oyster Mushroom Soup with Chicken Bones, Corn and Beetroot

This comforting oyster mushroom soup features a savoury chicken broth, sweet corn, and beetroot for added colour and natural sweetness. The oyster mushrooms remain the star of the dish, adding a delicate texture that pairs well with the rich, slow-simmered broth. Enjoy it warm on its own or with steamed rice for a simple home-cooked meal.

Ingredients

• 500g oyster mushrooms, torn into strips
• 500g chicken bones
• 2 corn on the cob, cut into segments
• 2 beetroots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 800ml chicken stock or water
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

How to Prepare

1. Prepare the ingredients: Rinse the oyster mushrooms and tear them into strips. Chop the chicken bones into smaller pieces, peel and cut the beetroot into chunks, and cut the corn into segments. Slice the onion and garlic.
2. Sauté the aromatics: Heat the cooking oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and garlic, then sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken bones: Add the chicken bones and stir briefly.
4. Simmer the broth: Pour in the chicken stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30–45 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
5. Add the beetroot and corn: Add the beetroot chunks and corn segments. Simmer for another 20–30 minutes, or until the beetroot is tender and the corn has released its sweetness into the broth.
6. Add the oyster mushrooms: Stir in the mushrooms and simmer for 5–10 minutes until tender.
7. Season and serve: Add salt and white pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Tip: Cut the beetroot into similarly sized chunks so they cook evenly. Add the oyster mushrooms near the end to preserve their texture and keep them from becoming overcooked.

3. Classic Mushroom Soup with Potato Chunks

This classic mushroom soup is creamy, hearty, and made even more filling with soft potato chunks. Crispy golden mushrooms on top add a savoury crunch, while blending just part of the soup keeps the texture thick but still chunky. Serve it with toasted bread for an easy lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 500g button mushrooms, sliced (plus extra for the crispy topping)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into smaller chunks
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup plain flour (about 30g)
• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 750ml milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley or thyme leaves, for garnish (optional)

How to Prepare

1. Prepare the ingredients: Wash the mushrooms under running water and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel before slicing. Peel the potatoes and cut them into even, small chunks so they cook at the same pace. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
2. Sauté the mushrooms: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and most of their liquid has evaporated.
3. Add the aromatics: Stir in the onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Cook the flour: Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to remove the raw taste. This helps thicken the soup.
5. Add the stock and potatoes: Gradually pour in the stock while stirring to avoid lumps. Add the potato chunks, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
6. Add the milk and cream: Stir in the milk and cooking cream and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes without letting it boil hard.
7. Blend partially: Use a hand blender to pulse the soup just a few times, so about half is smooth and the rest stays chunky. Season with salt and black pepper, then ladle into bowls and top with parsley if you like.

Conclusion

Whether you like your mushroom soup thick and creamy, light and brothy, or loaded with potatoes, you can make any of these at home with ingredients from your local market. Pick the one that suits your mood and get cooking.

Ready to cook? Veggies.my has all the fresh mushrooms, corn, beetroot, and potatoes you need, so you can head into the kitchen with everything on hand.