Source:

susanm

Serves/Makes:8 or more

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (.9 kg). fresh mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 2 green onions, cut in 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) to 3 tbsp (45 ml) minced garlic
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
• 6 cups (1425 ml) beef stock
• 2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 1 cup (225 ml) hot water
• 1 tsp (5 ml) salt, or to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 pinches truffle salt, optional
• chopped green onion or parsley, for garnish
• Roux:
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) butter
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) flour

Preparation

• Lightly saute fresh mushrooms, green onions and garlic in 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter. Remove from heat.
• For roux, melt 4 tbsp (60 ml) butter in a heavy 6 quarts (5675 ml) soup pot
• Sprinkle flour into melted butter, stirring constantly until roux becomes a light caramel color--not too dark!
• Continue stirring as you gradually pour in the beef stock.
• Stir in sauteed veggies and rehydrated porcinis, including liquids.
• Add salt and truffle salt, if using.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender.
• Puree in a blender in small batches, straining out any non-pureed porcini bits.
• Stir in cream.
• Heat over low flame, stirring occasionally, until soup is heated through.
• Pepper to taste.
• Serve with chopped green onions or parsley for garnish.

Comments

The dried porcini and truffle salt (or even truffle powder) give this soup an rich earthy taste. Neither were in the original recipe but I have been searching for the perfect mushroom soup recipe for years. I'm still thinking a pinch of some herb might add the right touch but until I figure out which one, I like it is just fine as is! BTW, I used half standard white mushrooms and half crimini mushrooms. Experiment with your own combinations--as I know I will continue to do. Since the soup is pureed I'm sure that the cream could easily be eliminated to reduce the fat content.

This is an adaptation of a restaurant recipe printed in our local paper. The recipe was so poorly written I won't even bother mentioning the restaurant--they wouldn't recognize it anyway. Hopefully I've done a better job of it than they did!