Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

I swear the Barefoot Bloggers who chose this month's recipes are trying to make me gain 20 pounds before my Hawaii trip. This decadence was chosen by Chelle of Brown Eyed Baker. When I was younger I was a pretty picky eater because I mostly only knew Ghanian food, but my parents insisted on my sister and I experiencing food from other cultures. One of the many things I did not like was mushrooms and to this day, I am still not a fan of fungus. Oh, I will have the occasional portobello or shiitake, but for the most part I stay away from them. Since I mostly just cook for myself, I halve most recipes and this one was no exception. Besides, I didn't want to waste it if I didn't like it. I decided to only use two mushrooms: shiitake and portobello. I wanted to use fat free half and half, but the thoughtless bastards at my "corner store" ran out the day I went grocery shopping. I got my vegetables at the farmers market and they were far less expensive than I thought they would be, mostly because I only bought a few of them. In all honesty, I actually enjoyed this recipe, but it is verrrrry rich. I could only have a few sips at a time. I could literally feel the fat exploding into different parts of my body. If I were to make this again (which I probably won't), I would maybe skip the cream and half-and-half all together...I guess that would just make it mushroom soup rather than cream of mushroom, but whatever. The broth is very flavorful and is a good broth to have on hand if you want to add more flavor to vegetarian recipes. I added a few more vegetables because I wasn't sure if the small amount of mushrooms would be enough, it turned out great. Visit the Barefoot Bloggers to check out how everyone else did and if you love Ina Garten as much as we do, go ahead and see how to sign up here!



Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
4 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick plus 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced thyme leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them dry with a paper towel. Don't wash them. Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stem. Slice the caps about 1/4 inch thick and if they are too big, cut them in to bite sized pieces. Set the caps aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add three cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 2 1/4 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 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, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon 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.