I have seen this Button Mushroom Soup so many times on the Chinese internet, with people going gaga for it. The recipe seemed so deceptively simple, I had to try it.
Well, I can report back that I found this recipe worth sharing with our Woks of Life readers! I liked how Sarah put it: it tastes like a version of a Yang Chun Mian Noodle Soup base, but instead of lard, it’s made with mushrooms. That’s pretty good in my book!
An Adaptable, Useful Recipe
This button mushroom soup recipe is extremely simple, with just 8 ingredients (one of which is water!). The flavor all comes from frying the mushrooms until they’re caramelized and their mushroom juices seep out! Then you add water to make a quick broth, as well as soy sauce for salt and umami.
I like to serve it as a light appetizer before a meal, but it also has other uses. Here are some ideas:
- Add a beaten egg (using the same method we use for our egg drop soup) to give the soup more protein and perhaps make it a light meal in and of itself.
- If you don’t have fresh scallions and cilantro on hand, you can use frozen herbs (see our article on how to freeze herbs and aromatics).
- Skip the herbs and the cornstarch for thickening to make this into a simple stock base for noodle soup, wonton soup, or as a vegetarian stock base for recipes like hot and sour soup.
- Use the stock as an added ingredient in any vegetarian recipe that calls for broth or stock.
Recipe notes
Choose small and medium button mushrooms for this recipe so you don’t have to cut them.
We suggest using a non-reactive stainless steel, glass, or ceramic soup pot, as you’ll get a nicer color in the final product. An improperly seasoned or improperly cleaned wok may result in your soup darkening in color.
We sometimes add sesame oil and white pepper to simple soups like this, but I omit them for this recipe so you can better taste the flavor of the mushrooms.
If you love cilantro, this soup can take a lot of it! You can add extra if you like.
Ok, on to the recipe:
Recipe Instructions
Wash the mushrooms clean of any dirt, and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. Detach the stems (you will add them to the soup also).
Place a medium soup pot over medium high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil and mushrooms cup-side up in a single layer. (Add the stems in too to avoid waste.)
Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the mushroom caps are browned, and each cup fills with liquid (that’s the mushroom juices seeping out!).
You may check the stems for browning, but do it carefully to avoid pouring out the liquid in the caps.
Avoid stirring during this pan-frying process as it’s the key step to developing flavor for this soup. You also want to keep the juices in the mushroom cap.
When the mushrooms are nicely browned, add the water and light soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes over medium low heat.
Add salt to taste, and stir in the cornstarch slurry (if using). Simmer the soup for 30 seconds until thickened.
Just before serving, add the cilantro and scallions. If you like cilantro (like me) this soup can take a lot of cilantro!
Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!
Recipe
Chinese-Style Button Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces button mushrooms (the smaller the better)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- salt (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (combined into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water, optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
- 1 scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms clean of any dirt, and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. Detach the stems (you will add them to the soup also).
- Place a medium soup pot over medium high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil and mushrooms cup-side up in a single layer. (Add the stems in too to avoid waste.)
- Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the mushroom caps are browned, and each cup fills with liquid (that’s the juices in the mushroom seeping out!). Also check the stems for browning. Avoid stirring during this pan-frying process as it’s the key step to developing flavor for this soup. (You also want to keep the mushroom juices in the caps.)
- When the mushrooms are nicely browned, add the water and light soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes over medium low heat.
- Add salt to taste, and stir in the cornstarch slurry (if using). Simmer the soup for 30 seconds until thickened.
- Just before serving, add the cilantro and scallions. If you like cilantro (like me) this soup can take a lot of cilantro!
