Longhorn Steakhouse Mushroom Truffle Bisque Copycat Recipe

This Longhorn Steakhouse mushroom truffle bisque is a rich, creamy soup with deep earthy flavor from a mix of mushrooms and a finishing drizzle of truffle oil. If you’ve had it at the restaurant and wanted it on a random Tuesday at home, this recipe gets you there in about 45 minutes.

The bisque is thick enough to feel like a real starter, not watery mushroom soup. It’s the kind of thing you can make ahead, which makes it even more practical for a weeknight.

Why I Love This Recipe

The truffle oil does a lot here. It gives the bisque that distinctive, slightly funky richness right at the end without overwhelming everything else.

What keeps this version close to the original is the combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms. Cremini gives you body; shiitake brings that deeper, almost savory note.

It’s also a forgiving recipe. You can blend it as smooth or as chunky as you like and it works either way.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb cremini mushrooms – Sliced; these form the base of the bisque and give it body
• 6 oz shiitake mushrooms – Stems removed, sliced; adds deeper savory flavor
• 1 medium yellow onion – Diced; yellow onion is sweeter and milder than white here
• 4 cloves garlic – Minced; fresh garlic only, not jarred
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter – For sautéing; unsalted lets you control the salt level
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour – Thickens the bisque; swap with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend if needed
• 3 cups chicken broth – Low-sodium preferred so the salt stays adjustable; vegetable broth works too
• 1 cup heavy cream – Gives the bisque its silky texture; half-and-half makes it lighter
• 1/2 cup dry sherry – Adds brightness and depth; see substitutions if you’d rather skip it
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves – Stripped from the stems; dried works at 3/4 tsp
• 1 tsp soy sauce – Boosts the savory depth without tasting like soy
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt – Add more at the end after tasting
• 1/2 tsp black pepper – Freshly ground if you have it
• 2 tsp white truffle oil – Drizzled at the end; the finishing flavor that defines this dish
• Fresh chives – Chopped, for garnish

Variations / Substitutions

• Sherry swap – Use dry white wine or an extra splash of broth; the bisque will be a touch less complex but still good.
• Vegetarian – Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth; the flavor is nearly identical because the mushrooms carry so much of it.
• Dairy-free – Swap the butter for olive oil and the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream; the coconut flavor is faint but present.
• Gluten-free – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour; the thickness is the same.
• Extra heat – A pinch of cayenne stirred in with the salt gives a quiet warmth in the back of the throat.
• Black truffle oil – If that’s what you have, use it; the flavor is earthier and slightly more intense than white.
• Porcini addition – Soak 1/2 oz of dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes, then add the mushrooms and their strained soaking liquid to the pot for a smokier, more complex base.

If you like creamy soups with big savory flavor, Longhorn Steakhouse Loaded Potato Soup Copycat Recipe is worth a look next.

How To Make Mushroom Truffle Bisque

Step 1: Sauté the Mushrooms

Melt the 3 tbsp unsalted butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the 1 lb sliced cremini mushrooms and 6 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms in a single layer if you can manage it. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes without stirring too much, so the mushrooms get some color on the bottom of the pot rather than just steaming.

You’re looking for deep golden-brown patches on the mushrooms and some dark fond building on the pot floor. That browning is flavor you’ll scrape up in the next step, so don’t rush past it.

Step 2: Soften the Aromatics

Push the mushrooms to the edges of the pot and drop the heat to medium. Add the diced yellow onion to the center and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the 4 cloves minced garlic and the 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves and stir everything together for about 1 minute, until the garlic smells fragrant.

This is also the moment to pour in the 1/2 cup dry sherry. It will sizzle and lift all that fond off the bottom of the pot. Scrape it up with a wooden spoon so nothing goes to waste.

Step 3: Build the Base

Sprinkle the 2 tbsp all-purpose flour over the mushroom and onion mixture. Stir it in and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until there’s no dry flour visible and it smells slightly nutty. Then pour in the 3 cups chicken broth gradually, stirring as you go so no lumps form.

Add the 1 tsp soy sauce, the 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and the 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat and let it cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will start to thicken noticeably by the end of that time.

The flour needs those 10 minutes at a simmer to cook out properly and thicken the soup. If you rush it, the bisque can taste a little starchy.

Step 4: Blend the Bisque

Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot and blend for about 30 to 45 seconds until the soup is mostly smooth with a few small mushroom pieces still visible. If you want it completely smooth, blend for a full 60 seconds. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a stand blender and blend on high for 20 seconds per batch.

Leave a little texture if you can. A completely smooth bisque is fine, but a few small bits of mushroom give it a more satisfying body in the bowl.

Step 5: Simmer with Cream and Garnish

Return the pot to medium-low heat. Pour in the 1 cup heavy cream and stir to combine. Let the bisque simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until it’s heated through and the cream is fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Ladle the bisque into bowls, drizzle each serving with about 1/2 tsp of the white truffle oil, and scatter a pinch of chopped fresh chives across the top.

Recipe Tips

• Pick mushrooms that look dry. Wet, slimy mushrooms have too much surface moisture and will steam instead of brown in step 1. Wipe them with a damp paper towel rather than rinsing under water.
• Don’t add the truffle oil early. Heat destroys most of the fragrance. It goes in the bowl at the very end, not into the pot.
• Taste before you add salt at the end. Between the broth, soy sauce, and butter, the bisque can be right where it needs to be without any extra.
• Reheat gently. Cream-based soups can break or turn grainy over high heat. Low and slow, stirring, keeps the texture smooth.

Cook times by pot size and mushroom load:

Pot size	Mushroom browning time	Simmer time after broth
4 qt pot	7 to 8 min	10 min
6 qt pot	6 to 7 min	10 min
6 qt with porcini add-in	6 to 7 min	12 min

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store the bisque without the truffle oil drizzle in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor actually gets better on day two.
• Reheating – Warm it in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Add a small splash of broth if it has thickened too much in the fridge.
• Serve Cold – This one doesn’t work cold; the cream and butter solidify. Always reheat before serving.

What To Serve With Mushroom Truffle Bisque

A thick slice of crusty sourdough bread is the most practical pairing because the open crumb soaks up the bisque without falling apart immediately. If you’re serving this as a starter before a main, grilled steak or roasted chicken keeps things from feeling too heavy since the soup already has a lot of richness. A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the cream and resets the palate between courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze this bisque?

Cream-based soups can separate when frozen and thawed. If you want to freeze it, do so before adding the heavy cream, then stir in the cream fresh when you reheat it.

Can I use canned mushrooms instead of fresh?

You can, but the browning step in step 1 won’t work the same way since canned mushrooms are already cooked and wet. The flavor will be noticeably flatter.

How do I keep the bisque from tasting too truffle-forward?

Start with 1 tsp of truffle oil per bowl instead of 1/2 tsp per serving and add more at the table. Truffle oil is much easier to add than to correct once it’s too strong.

Is there a way to make this thicker without more flour?

Yes. Blend a larger portion of the soup in step 4, which incorporates more of the starch from the mushrooms and creates a thicker consistency without any additional thickener.