This creamy porcini mushroom soup is a Slovenian classic; simple, earthy, and full of forest umami that only porcini can bring. You can make it with fresh or dried mushrooms, using just a handful of humble ingredients. A splash of white wine lends it a lovely brightness, while a spoonful of sour cream adds a gentle creaminess that makes it hard to stop at just one bowl. Gluten-free and incredibly comforting, this porcini soup is perfect for a cozy dinner, Sunday lunch and a perfect way to cook porcini mushrooms.

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A delicious creamy Slovenian porcini mushroom soup

A delicious bowl of creamy porcini mushroom soup ready to be served

As soon as autumn rolls in, the forests of Slovenia come alive – and so do the mushroom hunters. With nearly 80% of the country covered in forest, mushroom season here is serious business. Social media overflows with photos of giant porcini and baskets so full they barely carry them. The real challenge isn’t finding mushrooms; it’s finding places where someone isn’t out looking for them.

You can often measure mushroom-hunting success by the number of cars lined up along the forest roads. The question is always the same: do you follow the crowd or sneak off to a quieter spot and hope for the best? Either way, one thing’s certain – if the roads are packed, the porcini have finally popped out of the ground.

These mushrooms live in a mycorrhizal love relationship with the trees, which means you’ll have your best luck where the right trees grow together. And once you find a good place, don’t forget it – that’s your most valuable recipe for a porcini feast. Porcini tend to return to the same spots year after year.

They show up a bit earlier in the highlands, a little later down low. In places where the porcini mycelium is a bit of an open secret, you’d better be there early in the morning, or you’ll likely come home with an empty basket.

A beautiful porcini mushroom popping out of autumn leaves in a Slovenian forest

There’s probably no other mushroom in the northern hemisphere that can stir up such excitement with its rich umami flavor as the porcini. From all the wild mushroom recipes out there, few can compete with the taste of a good porcini pizza, creamy tagliatelle with porcini, or just a simple porcini rice.

And then there’s this – the porcini mushroom soup. In Slovenia, you’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that doesn’t serve it, especially on a Sunday, when it’s almost a tradition. Its flavor is deep, earthy, and perfectly savory, with that unmistakable porcini umami that nothing else can quite replace.

This soup is made from just a few simple, local ingredients, and it never fails. You can blend it into a silky, creamy soup (don’t forget to save a few toasted porcini slices to float on top), or leave it rustic, with soft pieces of potatoes and carrots in every spoonful. A swirl of sour cream brings the perfect creaminess, while a splash of white wine at the end adds a lovely depth and freshness.

It’s easy to prepare, hearty enough for dinner, and absolutely delicious served with garlic bread, homemade bread with walnuts, or (if you’re keeping it healthy) a slice of buckwheat soda bread. Thickened only with mashed potatoes, this soup is naturally gluten-free, wonderfully cozy, and impossible to resist.

The ingredients

a top shot of igredients needed for porcini soup: porcini mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, white wine, bay leaf, olive oil, salt, pepper, butter, thyme and marjoram

PORCINI MUSHROOMS – This soup can be made with either fresh or dried porcini mushrooms. You can mix in a few other wild mushrooms like chanterelles or black trumpets, too, but make sure the rich umami of the porcini remains the star of the pot.

POTATOES – Any potato works here, though starchy ones will make the soup extra smooth and creamy once blended. They also thicken it naturally, so there’s no need for flour.

CARROTS – Slice them thinly or cut into small cubes so they soften right as the soup finishes cooking. They add a gentle sweetness and a lovely golden tone to the broth.

ONION – A white onion is best. It adds depth, sweetness, and that perfect base flavor.

GARLIC – We used five cloves for that comforting aroma and warm bite, but feel free to adjust to taste. Garlic powder can work, though fresh always adds more character.

OLIVE OIL & BUTTER – A little of both makes the flavor rounder and richer than oil alone. Use this blend to sauté the onion and porcini at the start.

WHITE WINE – Added at the end of cooking, it lifts the flavor and adds a gentle acidity that balances the creaminess.

SOUR CREAM – Just a spoon or two stirred in before serving gives the soup a silky, creamy texture and a faint tang. If you prefer a milder flavor, swap it for cooking cream or half-and-half.

SALT & BLACK PEPPER – Season lightly at first, then adjust toward the end. Porcini mushrooms can sometimes absorb the salt, so a final tasting before serving is always a good idea.

MARJORAM – Cozy, herbal warmth that pairs perfectly with the earthy porcini flavor. Use it sparingly — a small pinch goes a long way.

THYME – Whether fresh or dried, thyme adds a bright, woodsy note.

BAY LEAF – One bay leaf simmered with the soup adds depth and helps round out all the flavors. Just remember to remove it before blending or serving.

FRESH PARSLEY – A handful of finely chopped parsley stirred in right before serving brightens up the soup. You can also sprinkle a little on top for a touch of color and fresh, herbal finish.

Two bowls of creamy porcini mushroom soup with porcini mushrooms in the background

How to make porcini mushroom soup

Note: If you’re using dried porcini, soak them first in hot water or broth (for 15 minutes) before cooking. About 10 grams of dried porcini equals 100 grams of fresh mushrooms. Once they’ve softened, you can follow the same steps below.

STEP 1: When making the soup with fresh mushrooms, clean the porcini and slice them into large pieces—they’ll shrink quite a bit during cooking. Prepare the rest of your ingredients: peel and dice the potatoes into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes, slice the carrots thinly, chop the onion, and crush the garlic.

STEP 2: In a large pot, heat up a mix of olive oil and butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently over medium heat until golden and fragrant. This step builds the base flavor for your soup.

Image of sliced ingredients for porcini soup: onions, garlic, porcini mushrooms, carrots and potatoes

Onions and garlic being fried in olive oil and butter in a large pot.

STEP 3: Toss in the sliced carrots and fry for a minute or two, just until they release their sweetness. Then add the porcini mushrooms. Stir constantly so they don’t stick, and let them sizzle for another minute to deepen the aroma.

Stir frying the carrots in a large pot before adding potatoes and mushrooms

How to add and quickly fry the porcini mushrooms to the soup.

STEP 4: Add the potatoes and pour in enough vegetable stock (or water) to cover the vegetables completely. Don’t worry if you don’t have stock—porcini, garlic, and onion already add plenty of flavor to the pot.

STEP 5: When the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer slowly for about 30 minutes.

Image showing how to add diced potatoes to the soup

Image of adding bay leaf to the pot with the soup that just started cooking

STEP 6: Once the potatoes and carrots are soft, pour in the white wine and cook for another five minutes to let it blend with the flavors.

Almost cooked soup with a bay leaf floating at the top.

STEP 7: Scoop out a handful of the cooked potatoes, mash them with a fork, and stir them back into the pot. This will naturally thicken the soup and make it beautifully creamy.

STEP 8: Stir in the sour cream (or cooking cream, if you prefer a milder flavor). At this point, you can blend everything with a hand blender for a smooth, velvety soup, or leave it rustic with visible chunks of potatoes and carrots (both versions are delicious).

Image showing how to mash the potato to thicken the soup.

Image showing the soup mixed with sour cream and fresh parsley

STEP 9: Finish by adding a handful of freshly chopped parsley and give it another minute or two to meld together.

And that’s it! Your creamy porcini mushroom soup is ready to serve! Enjoy it hot with a slice of buckwheat soda bread, warm walnut loaf, or crispy garlic croutons for the perfect cozy fall meal.

Creamy mushroom soup with porcini mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and fresh parsley

Recipe tips (and a few add-ins) for the coziest mushroom Soup

Don’t wash the porcini. Simply brush off pine needles, leaves, or bits of soil with your hands, a soft brush, or a dry cloth. Porcini absorb water like sponges, so it’s best to keep them as dry as possible. If you picked them on a rainy day, cook or blanch them the same day to keep their texture at its best.

Add the wine near the end of cooking. If you pour it in too early, the acidity can keep the potatoes and carrots from softening properly, and the soup won’t turn as creamy.

Try a splash of vinegar instead. A tablespoon of mild vinegar added toward the end gives the soup a gentle tang and a lovely, joyful brightness that pairs in harmony with umami of porcini mushrooms.

Slice the carrots thin. Carrots take a little longer to cook than potatoes, so slicing them thin helps everything soften evenly.

Blend the soup to make it creamier. If you prefer a silky texture, use a hand blender to process the soup right in the pot until smooth and velvety.

Save a few porcini for garnish. Toast or sauté a few extra slices and spoon them on top just before serving—they’ll add extra flavor, texture, and a beautiful, rustic look.

Add dumplings. A few homemade dumplings (or traditional Slovenian žganci) turn this porcini soup into the ultimate comfort delight. They soak up the flavors beautifully, making the dish even heartier, perfect for a rainy autumn evening.

Avoid reheating it multiple times. Mushroom proteins break down with repeated heating and can cause stomach discomfort. It’s best enjoyed freshly made, while it’s still warm and fragrant.

A spoon of porcini mushroom soup with potatoes, carrots and fresh parsley.

How to store this soup

Like most mushroom soups, porcini soup is best enjoyed freshly cooked, while it’s still warm. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge as soon as they’ve cooled down. It’s generally fine to reheat it once, but doing so more than that isn’t recommended.

Mushroom proteins (including those in porcini) start to break down with repeated heating, which can cause stomach discomfort for some people. That’s why it’s better to cook this soup in smaller batches and store any extra porcini separately instead, either dried or blanched and frozen – so you can make a fresh pot whenever you like. You don’t need to thaw frozen mushrooms before cooking the soup.

Potatoes also don’t improve with reheating, so a fresh batch will always taste better. In either case, make sure to never leave the soup sitting out at room temperature for too long.

A bowl of mushroom soup with porcini mushrooms, bread and chestnuts in the background

Questions you might ask

Can I use other mushrooms and vegetables to cook this soup?

You can absolutely mix in other mushrooms; they’ll only deepen the flavor and make the soup even richer. Chanterelles, other types of boletes, or a few black trumpets work beautifully alongside porcini. You can also toss in extra vegetables like parsley root, kohlrabi, celeriac, or even a handful of beans. It’ll lean a bit toward a mushroom minestrone, but still keep that unmistakable porcini umami that makes this soup so special.

How to know you’re buying good porcini mushrooms?

Good porcini should be firm and plump, with no signs of worms or soft spots. The cap needs to have a healthy brown color, while the underside (the pores) should be pale to light yellow, never dark or mushy. When buying fresh porcini, give them a sniff; they should smell earthy and nutty. It’s always best to buy from a trusted vendor, someone who you know picks them fresh from the woods.

If you’re buying dried porcini, look for thick, clean slices in shades of light to medium brown. Avoid any that look too dark, crumbly, or dusty – that usually means they’re old or overheated during drying.

More porcini and mushroom soup recipes

If you made this porcini mushroom soup, let us know! Drop a comment below – we’d love to hear how yours turned out!

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