Creamy wild mushroom soup made from dried wild mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, shallots, garlic, broth, cream, sherry and herbs.
Last spring I was delighted to spot wild morels popping up in our garden. After two winters on the American River bike trail in search of edible mushrooms bitten by the wild porcini bug while forays into Northern California, here they were, growing right in the garden!
I consulted my trusty Mushrooms Demystified manual, sent photos to my friend at the mycological society, Beth, and was reassured that these were indeed morels, which are not only safe to eat but considered a delicacy.
Wild Mushroom Cream Soup
While the dried mushrooms are soaking, prepare the other ingredients to save time.
Special Garnish Idea: Quality green extra virgin olive oil really is something special to drizzle over this soup, along with some crusty bread for dipping.
You can swap the sherry for Madeira if you like. Leave it all out altogether if you avoid cooking with alcohol.
ingredients
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2 ounces dried wild mushrooms
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3 cups hot water
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6 tablespoon butterdivided 3 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons
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1/2 Cup chopped shallots
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3 cloves garlicchopped (1 tablespoon)
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1/2 lb fresh cremini or mushroomshalved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
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1/2 Cup flour
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1/3 Cup Dry sherry
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Salt and pepper
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4 cups good quality Chicken broth, or vegetable broth for the vegetarian version
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1 teaspoon herbs of Provence
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1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
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2 bay leaves
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1 teaspoon Saltplus more to taste
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1/2 Cup heavy cream
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1/4 Cup finely chopped Parsely
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1/4 Cup snipped chives
method
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Soak the dry mushrooms in water:
Place dried wild mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups very hot water. Leave to rest for 30 minutes. Line a strainer with a dampened paper towel or coffee filter.
After 30 minutes, strain the mushrooms through the filter, retaining at least 1 cup of the mushroom liquid. Roughly chop the reconstituted wild mushrooms.
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Sweat the shallots, garlic and mushrooms:
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots until soft and translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
Add the fresh mushrooms, increase the heat to medium and cook a few minutes longer. Add chopped wild mushrooms. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
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Add sherry:
Increase heat to medium-high, uncover, and add 1/3 cup dry sherry to saucepan.
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Make a roux with butter and flour:
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the saucepan and stir until melted. Add the flour to the saucepan and stir until the mushrooms are well coated in the flour, creating a roux. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add the mushroom water, broth and herbs:
Add 1 cup reserved mushroom soaking water and stir until the flour is dissolved in the water and there are no clumps. Add the chicken broth. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
Add the Herbes de Provence, dried thyme, bay leaves and salt.
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Cook:
Heat on high until the soup is gently simmering. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
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Stir in cream:
When ready to serve, remove bay leaves and stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add black pepper and more salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped chives and parsley when serving.
How to thicken soupCONTINUE READING:
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 412 | calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 42g | carbohydrates |
| 12g | protein |
