This recipe for Low-Carb Cheese Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme makes a delicious way to start a meal, or could be used as a main course. It’s suitable for low-carb, keto, Atkins, diabetic, gluten-free, grain-free, or Banting diets. 

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I love the combination of cheese, mushrooms and thyme. These flavors are just meant to be together. What better way to put them together than in a soup! 

This soup recipe has a creamy broth, scented with garlic, onions, and thyme. The mushrooms give the soup a hearty, stick-to-the ribs, quality. Swiss cheese adds even more creaminess and a nutty flavor. I top the soup with even more grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

My first version of this recipe was made with gruyere cheese. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses and it goes so well with all of the other ingredients that I knew I needed to start there. Unfortunately, there were three problems with using gruyere. First, this cheese is expensive! I spent almost $10.00 on the amount I needed for the soup. That’s okay for a splurge or a special occasion, but I like to keep my recipes somewhat affordable.

The second problem was that when gruyere melted into the soup, it became one big glob and sank to the bottom. I wasn’t expecting that! Sure, it was a nice surprise of delicious gooeyness at the bottom of the bowl, but I wasn’t sure if other people would like it.

The final problem I had with Gruyere is that it’s not that easy to find. I live in the boonies and make a trip once a week to the “big” grocery store about half hour drive from my home. The rest of the week, if I need a few items, I shop at a much smaller grocery store. The “big” grocery store had only one brand of gruyere (yep, the expensive one) and the smaller grocery store didn’t carry it at all. I like to use ingredients ones that everyone can find. There’s no point in creating a recipe that nobody can access the ingredients for!

Swiss cheese, called Emmental cheese in many countries, came to my rescue! It’s mild, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor works beautifully with the mushrooms and thyme. Rather than clumping together and sinking to the bottom, it melts into the broth and adds richness and creaminess to the soup. Best of all, Swiss cheese is available  at almost any grocery store in the USA for a much more affordable price. 

While I gave up my dream of a gruyere and mushroom soup, I feel that this recipe is even better. The final version  of this Low-Carb Cheese Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme is even more tasty than I had imagined and much more accessible. Enjoy!

This recipe for Low-Carb Cheese Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme makes a delicious way to start a meal, or could be used as a main course.😋😍

4.84 from 6 votes

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Low-Carb Cheese Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme

This recipe for Low-Carb Cheese Soup with Mushrooms and Thyme makes a delicious way to start a meal, or could be used as a main course. It's suitable for low-carb, keto, Atkins, diabetic, gluten-free, grain-free, or Banting diet. 

Course Soup

Cuisine American, low-carb

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Author Annissa Slusher

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces white onion chopped
• 8 ounces fresh button or cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
• black pepper freshly ground
• sea salt
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese grated/shredded
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add butter. 

2. When butter has melted and stopped foaming, add the onions. Cook onions until they are just beginning to turn translucent. Stir in the mushrooms. Lightly season with sea salt and pepper. 

3. Cook onions and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in the garlic. Cook for one minute.

4. Add the white wine vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the vinegar has almost completely evaporated, leaving a syrupy consistency. 

5. Stir in about 1/4 cup of the cream. Add in the cream cheese, breaking it up and stirring to incorporate it into the cream. When the cheese has melted, slowly add the rest of the cream, a few tablespoons at a time. Stir between each addition. 

6. Stir in half of the grated Swiss cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted. Slowly stream in the broth, stirring constantly. Bring soup to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh thyme.

7. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you used chicken stock or low-salt chicken broth, you may need to add more salt. If you used regular broth, you may not need to add anything at all. 

8. Serve in bowls with the remaining Swiss cheese on top.

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup (8 ounces)

Per serving:

Calories: 462

Fat (g): 41

Carbs (g): 8 

Fiber (g): 1

Protein (g): 14

Net carbs (g): 7