Winter Soups pt 1 - Wild Mushroom Soup

 Now that it's cold out (like, sub-freezing for the last couple weeks), I'm doing a lot more warming soups.   I had a request for a couple of these recipes, and I try to just publish the tested, tasty ones.

The first recipe, I'll admit I stole/was inspired by these folks at Rhubarb & Lavender, who have an entire website of Lord of the Rings/Hobbits inspired recipes.   I've modified it a bit, and you're also getting my working notes. So... lets dig in!

Wild Mushroom Soup

Prep time: ~20 minutes         Cook time: ~5-10 minutes     Serves 4-6

Tools:

• Knife
• Cutting board
• a blender or immersion blender (something like this one over at Amazon - they really are great for this)
• A large cast iron dutch oven, ideally
• You may also want a small frying pan
• Stirring spoons

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs mushrooms.  (see Note 1)
• 1 large onion.  
• 4 garlic cloves, or 4 spoonfulls of chopped garlic
• salt as needed
• olive oil
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup sherry or brandy
• 3 tbsp flour
• 4 cups broth. (see Note 2)
• pepper to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream works well)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• optional chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Slice the mushrooms.   Take a 1/4 cup of mushroom caps, rough chop, and set aside
2. Dice the onion and mince the garlic and set aside. 
3. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add  the reserved coarse chopped mushrooms and sprinkle with a little salt. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown. Remove from the pot and set aside to use as a garnish later
4. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil and butter to the pot along with the diced onion. Cook the onions for about 3-5 minutes until they are softened and beginning to brown. Add the remaining mushrooms and season with a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until the mushrooms begin to brown and any liquid that has accumulated cooks off.
5. Add the garlic and thyme, and saute for a couple more minutes until the fragrance comes out.   
6. Add the sherry or brandy to deglaze the pan, and get all the fon off the bottom (you want that for the flavors). Allow this to simmer until the liquid has reduced approximately 1/2.  Now add the flour, and stir it in thoroughly.
7. Now, add the broth, stirring as you go to prevent lumping.  Finally, add 1 tsp of salt, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until everything is tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
8. Blend the soup. If you're using a regular blender, do this in manageable batches, and decant to a side bowl as you go.  If you're using an immersion blender (I heartily recommend this, btw), you can work directly in the pot.  You're after a smooth, creamy result.  
9. Stir in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce.  You'll need to do this by taste, ultimately.  Also add salt and pepper, again to taste. 
10. Check your consistency - if the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth. Once you have it, serve it up, topped with the sauteed chunked mushrooms and parsely.

Notes.

1. The last time I did this, I used a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a 1lb box of really nice mushrooms I found on sale at Whole Foods.  Another option a friend pointed out was a 2lb package of mini portobellos from Costco.  The original recipe calls for crimini mushrooms, but... use what piques your fancy.   This is a recipe where using interesting, flavorful mushrooms will reward you.
2. The original recipe calls for vegetable broth, but you can also use chicken broth or Better Than Boullion, dissolved into water.

Pairings

This works well with a hearty toasted cheese sandwich - or open faced. In the picture above, we paired with toasties made with crunch country bread and gruyere cheese.