Creamy Mixed Wild Mushroom Soup : Recipe

Creamy Mixed Wild Mushroom Soup

The browned bits of leeks, fresh mushroom stock, makes this Creamy Mixed Wild Mushroom Soup heavenly, start to finish. Mushrooms included fresh portobello, shiitake and dried, hydrated porcini. A wonderful wintery soup. Adapted from an Ina Garten Recipe, Foodnetwork.

Recipe By: Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe

Prep20 min |
Total2hr 10min |
Serves6

Ingredients

Garnish:
- 1/2 cup chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley
Mushroom Stock:
- 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushroom
- 5 ouces portobello mushrooms
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, hydrated in warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stick butter + 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (1 whole sprig + 1 sprig, leaves minced)
- 1 each kosher salt and pepper
Soup:
- 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white wine, Sauvignon Blanc will work well
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup cream

Instructions

The Mushrooms

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in about 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Cover with a small plate or another bowl to keep them submerged. Soak for about 15 minutes or until they are soft. Drain through a fine sieve reserving the liquid. Once they cool, chop them into smaller pieces. Set aside.

Clean the fresh mushrooms by brushing with a mushroom brush if you have one or wipe them with dry paper towels. Separate the stems, trimming off any bad parts. Coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and if the mushroom are really large (like the portobello) cut those into smaller bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

The Stock

Heat the the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large stock pot. Add the hydrated porcini mushrooms, chopped fresh mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the reserved water from the dried mushrooms plus enough extra water to make 6 cups of water total. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2cups of stock. If not, add some additional water.

The Soup

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream and parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Garnish & Plate

Ladle soup into to large bowls and sprinkle a little fresh parsley on top of each bowl. Serve right away. We served ours with warmed crustry French Bread.

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