Mushroom Soup

I grew up with cream of mushroom soup from Campbells Soup Company, it was the end all be all of additives for casseroles. I use it myself from time to time.

But when you want a more sophisticated mushroom soup, this is the soup to make. Serve it with a piece or two of a rustic artisan country bread and its perfection. I’m telling you this stuff will blow the doors off of that canned stuff!

I’ve been wanting mushroom soup for a week or so and lucky me stumbled upon them on sale. You can add cream in at the end making this a bisque rather than a soup.

Use a soup pot or a dutch oven

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds of cremini mushrooms (those are baby portabella mushrooms, they have a richer flavor)

8 ounces of mushroom variety like Shiitake

3  to 4 shallots chopped (3/4 cup)

4 garlic cloves chopped

1/2 tsp fine ground black pepper

1/2 tsp  kosher salt

3/4 tsp dried marjoram

4 cups vegetable broth

** Cooking **

Heat your dutch oven on medium low heat with olive oil and butter. Add mushrooms after all the butter has melted and sauté until nearly all of their liquid has been released. This should take roughly 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, shallots cook for 1-2 minutes. Add your vegetable broth. I use that wonderful stuff in a jar “better than bullion”. Your spices and stir. Let simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.

Remove from heat and using an immersion blender and blend until smooth Or use a regular blender.

Serve this up with some toasted garlic croutons on top and a toasted slice of your favorite rustic artisan bread. This is an excellent first course to just about any meal.

Omit the butter and use your favorite plant based butter to make this a vegan friendly meal.