The Best Creamy Mushroom Soup Doesn't Come from a Can

Ever since someone had the idea to put creamy mushroom soup into a can, it's settled into a natural routine: Popped open, plopped into a bowl, and slurped. But while the "Pop, Plop, and Slurp" has its benefits (it takes about as long to do as it does to say), it doesn't hold a cremini stem to the real thing.

This recipe by longtime Food52 contributor MrsWheelbarrow isn't the insta-soup we know and love—it takes a full hour—but it's worth the wait. While the mushroom stems (cremini and an assortment of your favorites!) simmer in the chicken stock, she instructs you to "beautifully and precisely chop" the caps, then cook them with shallots, thyme, and rosemary before deglazing the pan with a glug of Cognac.

The reward comes even before the swirl of heavy cream and freshly chopped chives are added to the rich broth: No canned soup will make your kitchen smell this good.