Gourmet Mushroom Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Method
• In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.
• After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen?
• When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately.
• Improvisation
• To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried cèpes or morels, which have been soaked until soft, drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float on top in each bowl.
• And if you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving. Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it.

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add all mushrooms and thyme; sauté until mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add brandy; stir 30 seconds, then mix in flour. Slowly stir in broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in large pan. Add onion and leeks and allow to soften without browning.
• Add rosemary and half the mushrooms. fry gently until soft, then remove the rosemary and stir in the flour.
• When well mixed, add vegetable stock slowly, stirring constantly. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then puree in blender until smooth.
• Return to saucepan, add remaining mushrooms, milk, soy sauce and sugar.
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add sherry.
• Serve with a swirl of whipped cream.
• A garnish of fried onions is also very good.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the mushrooms with lemon juice. In a food processor, coarsely chop them.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and lightly saute the shallots. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, or until the liquid disappears. Add the salt, pepper, cream, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning to taste.
• Serve in warm bowls. Sprinkle with minced parsley.

Steps:

• Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with 2 cups of boiling water. Allow them to soak for 1 hour. Strain the mushrooms through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl. Reserve the liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Add the fresh mushrooms, celery, carrot, and half of the parsley, and sauté until the mushrooms are golden and the celery and carrots are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fl our until well blended. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid, soaked mushrooms, beef broth, and 4 cups of water. Stir in the barley, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add a little more water. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley before serving.

Steps:

• Heat the margarine in a soup pot, and add the onion. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is golden and soft.
• Transfer the onion to a food processor along with the tofu or cannellini beans. Process until smoothly pureed, add the vegetable broth, and process again briefly.
• In the same soup pot, combine the mushrooms with enough water to keep the bottom of the pot moist. Cover and steam the mushrooms until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture from the food processor back to the soup pot and stir to combine with the mushrooms. Add a little more water if too thick and heat slowly until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Or, if time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or so, then heat through as needed.
• "Creamy" Mushroom Soup (this page)
• Colcannon (page 186)
• or
• Roasted Potatoes with Bell Peppers and Onions (page 184)
• Bountiful tossed salad
• Steamed broccoli
• Calories: 87
• Total Fat: 4g
• Protein: 6g
• Carbohydrate: 6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 157mg