The reason I bought a package of mushrooms at my last trip to Winco escapes me. I normally use mushrooms for something or other but so far haven’t needed them for anything this week. Not wanting the mushrooms to go bad, I opted to turn the package of mushrooms into mushroom soup. I again turned to my Soup Bible for a recipe and modeled my soup after the Mushroom, celery, and garlic recipe I found in there.
ingredients.
- 2 8-oz packages of baby bella mushrooms; washed, stems trimmed, and roughly chopped
- 4 8-oz cans of sliced mushrooms
- 4 celery stalks, washed and sliced
- 2 shallots, halved
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 T. fresh rosemary
- 1T. fresh thyme
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1 qt. beef stock
- 1/4 c. half & half
- salt & pepper to taste
- dash of ground nutmeg
directions.
- Combine fresh mushrooms, shallots, garlic, celery, herbs, and wine in medium-sized heavy-duty pot and heat on high until boiling. Turn heat down and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Add canned mushrooms and half the stock. Puree in blender or food processor and return to pot. Add the rest of the stock and half & half. Return to a boil. Add dash of nutmeg and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with garlic parmesan croutons and celery leaves as a garnish and crusty bread on the side.
Note: You can make this dish vegetarian by using vegetable stock.
The end result was a gritty substance that tasted OK. I added a ton of salt because the flavor was slightly tasteless. The the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce, and I forgot to add that. When the soup sits the mushroom begins to separate from the broth. I wish it turned out a little creamier — like the lentil soup I made the other day.
However, even a so-so soup tastes good when you dip a good crusty bread in it. As long as I have some bread, I’ll eat up the leftovers.
Recipe rating:
Food Snob 