Here is my recipe for mushroom sauce. I'm not sure whether it fits into the "quick and easy" category, but it is definitely easy, and for me, it is quick:

Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/4 Â 1/3 of a large onion)
3-4 shallots, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh thyme (stems removed)
(or 1 tbsp dried thyme)
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 cups mushroom stock (or chicken stock)
1/2 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay)
3-4 tsp mushroom soup base or 2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1-1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chopped or sliced white or brown mushrooms

Directions

Chop or mince all ingredients ahead but do not combine together.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large sauce/soup pan until butter is melted.
Add onion and cook at medium heat for about 2 or 3 minutes, just until onions barely begin to become translucent.
Add shallots and garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. They will not be done at the point but will cook more when flour is added.
Add the thyme and cook about ½ minute more, stirring to combine.
Add the flour and raise the heat slightly. Cook the flour into a roux (which could be done separately, if you prefer, dividing the butter in oil into two halves, one for the onion mixture, and one for the roux). This will take about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the stock, half a cup at a time, stirring to blend.
Add the wine and stir.
Add white pepper and black pepper and stir to blend.
Add the mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Add more stock, if needed.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve over cooked egg noodles and garnish with fresh, chopped Italian parsley. This sauce is also good for chicken or for green beans.

You can buy mushroom stock at a restaurant supply store. Otherwise, to make mushroom stock, soak dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for 1 hour. Then remove the mushrooms (Save them for the sauce, in place of some of the white mushrooms), and let the water sit to allow the sand to settle. Then pour most of it off and strain the remaining water through a large sieve with a coffee filter in it. This will catch the last of the sand. Wash and rinse the mushrooms two or three times more to remove the rest of the sand before using. Add salt to taste if you do not use bouillon cubes, about 2 tsp.

If you donÂt use shallots, you can increase the onions to 1/3 cup and increase the garlic by 1-2 cloves.

Lars

EASY CREAM OF "WILD" MUSHROOM SOUP

1 ounce package mixed dried mushrooms
3 cups water
4 Tbs butter
3 Tbs minced shallots
1 stalk celery, with leaf, thin sliced
1/2 bay leaf
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbs water

Put dried mushrooms into warm water and let soak for one hour.

Saute shallots and celery in butter.

Strain mushrooms from soaking water, retain water. Chop mushrooms and add to pan of cooked shallots and celery. Saute again for 6 minutes.

Add reserved liquid (or part chicken stock), bay leaf and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add cornstarch mix, bring to boil and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Joe

Paging AnnT. For good or bad. darfc.

Lars, Surfas sells powdered porcini shrooms. I think they would be a good addition to any of these recipes.

Or you can put thosed ried mushrooms into the blender until they become powder.
Cream of mushroom soup substitute?
1/2 stick of butter...add 2 or 3 T chopped onion and 4 oz ( half an 8 oz carton!) of chopped fresh mushrooms and sautee until soft....about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add 3T flour....stir and cook about a minute and add slowly, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tsp worchestershire and 1/2 tsp salt and2 oz of creamc heese....
Cook and stir until thick....
You can add dried mushrooms, shitake or porcini that have been posdered in the blender if you want a stronger mushroom taste.
Linda C

Sounds like you aren't really looking for a mushroom soup recipe, but a mushroom sauce to use in place of a can of mushroom soup in a casserole.

It is very simple, just saute some shallots or onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little flour, cook for a few minutes and add some chicken broth or cream or a little of both. Season with salt and pepper and depending on what you are preparing, you can season with some fresh herbs, (Thyme, Rosemary or Sage, etc.) and simmer. Much better than canned cream of mushroom soup.

Yes, I use a thick white sauce (flour, butter/EVOO, and milk, cream or half n half) instead of canned cream of whatever soups. Also use whatever seasonings or flavorings you'd like.

When I want a mushroom sauce to use in a recipe that calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup I do similiar to Ann only I don't use garlic or shallots, just saute the mushrooms in butter, add the flour, cook for a wee bit then add a combination of chicken broth and milk.

I don't add the garlic, shallots or herbs because the aromatics and herbs are usually called for in the recipe I am using the "soup" in and I don't want to introduce anymore flavours. The "soup" is only one of many ingredients.

If however I am using the mushroom sauce as a true mushroom sauce OVER pork or meatlaof etc. then I add the garlic and shallots and herbs etc.

Jho, I've been trying to figure this question of 'canned' soups in a casserole recipe, too. Thanks for the question and the recipes! Ann and Terri, yours are just the thing I need.

Mushroom sauces look good too!

Judy

These all look really good. I'm thanking jho78 for asking the question, too.

Sally

I'm eith Terri. I think most recipes calling for cream of mushroom soup are using it as a simplified bechamel sauce (maybe Campbell's should sell a canned white sauce). Most of us have no problem making our own. It's a pretty basic skill. If we want it with mushrooms fine, but there are so many other possibilities.

Jim

To over simplify, when a recipe calls for canned cream of whatever soup, it's calling for thick gravy (or white sauce as people who aren't southern call it ;)

Linda, I had never thought of including some cream cheese. This sounds quite tasty!

Don't forget cream of celery and cream of asparagus, these can be made just as easily by adding maybe 1/4 cup of either during the saute process.

In a pinch, one could make cream of mushroom soup by using canned mushrooms, including the broth and reducing the amount of chicken broth accordingly.

I noticed last time at the grocery store that these little cans of condensed soup have inched up to a dollar a can. That's outrageous to me considering it's little more than canned milk, broth and thickeners.

For a can, I'll zap some butter and finely chopped mushrooms in the microwave, add a little flour and zap a little more,then add some milk/broth, salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce and zap til thick. I love Linda's idea of a dab of cream cheese!
I do wish that I could taste a can of Campbell's from "back in the day" as the kids say alongside of the wimpy stuff that they sell now full of additives and sugar. I do vividly remembering that I was convinced that I hated mushrooms when I was a kid and I used to pick out the mushrooms from my tuna noodle casserole that my mother made with Campbell's cream of mushroom. You'd be hard pressed to find a chunk of mushroom in the can now.

Grace

One of our specialties here is cream of refrigerator soup. I start making the white sauce while DW looks through the fridge for things to sauté, whiz in the food processor and add to it. Last time it was carrots and onions. A bit of grated ginger and we were in business.

Love the Cream of Refrigerator Soup, velodoug.
I'll have to remember that name next time.......

It sounds so much more sophisticated than...
"Same thing we had last night".

Deanna