Divine Mushroom Soup

My friend, Allison, pinned a most-delicious looking recipe for mushroom soup.  I repinned it and it may have forever lived in the land of the things we pin and never do, BUT Allison and I decided to get together and make it.  And it was certainly the right decision–creamy, well-seasoned and robust, this is one good soup.

Concerned about getting hungry while we were cooking, we decided to toss in an appetizer, also found on Pinterest:

Hot Caprese Dip

serves 2-4

• 10 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes
• 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and juiced
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil (or about 1 tablespoon dried) + more for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.

Make sure tomatoes have as much juiced squeezed out of them as possible – this will prevent the dip from becoming soupy. In a small baking dish, combine chopped cheese, tomatoes and basil and mix. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes so cheese becomes bubbly and golden. Serve immediately with crackers or melba toasts.

Note: dip may appear “watery” which is why it is VERY important to get as much moisture out of the tomatoes as possible. Also make sure dip is consumed immediately, as the longer it sits, the more juice that develops. Don’t worry if there is a little bit of juice – it is still delicious!

Allison had the brilliant idea to add a little balsamic to the recipe:

We were talking and laughing so we forgot the dip in the oven.  It came out a bit more baked than we intended, but we all agreed that it was fabulous regardless:

Allison and I took a break from our labors to sip some wine and pose in our aprons:

Then on to the main course:

Homemade Mushroom Soup by Season with Spice
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 300g or 2 cups fresh mushrooms – cleaned and chopped finely (I used a mix of swiss brown and white button)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic – chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 – 2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp flour dissolved in 1 tbsp water
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• Dash of nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley or thyme for garnish

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add butter and lightly sauté garlic on medium heat.
2. Add in mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.
3. Add in chicken broth. Stir occasionally until broth boils, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4 Add diluted flour in, and stir constantly (while simmering) until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Finally, add milk and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Turn heat off.
6. Serve hot in your soup bowl. Add freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme if you have them on hand. And warm up this holiday season!

Notes:
– You can thicken the soup by adding in another tablespoon of flour or cut down on the broth, for use in pasta or your Christmas casserole dishes.

We used Allison’s homemade chicken stock.  It came from the freezer so it started out as a lump (see below), but soon melted into a delicious complement to the mushrooms.  Look at all the fresh herbs:

The finished product was exceptionally yummy.  We tossed a quick side of mixed greens, raspberries, slivered almonds and Gorgonzola:

Note the copious amounts of pepper: Allison LOVES pepper

Everyone loved the meal, even Drew!