cream of wild mushroom soup

I don’t make cream based soups often, but my daughter loves them so I made this for her recently. It’s my soup version of Chicken Marsala – without the chicken but with the marsala. It was so yummy I ate more of it than she did…and I didn’t even feel guilty about the cream.

It’s part of my 80/20 rule. Eat 80% healthy and 20% whatever I want. Works really well.

You can however make this without the cream by using cashew cream (a mixture of raw cashews and water, pulverized to make a surprisingly good faux cream.) But this is the real deal…though I did do my my best to balance the don’t of dairy with super food mushrooms, and a sprinkling of terrific turmeric, to make a truly delicious soup…perfect for the chilly nights beckoning us to cuddle under a soft blanket and have a cup.

Ingredients

24 oz. wild mushrooms; crimini and shiitake – coarsely chopped

3 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk

2 cup half and half

6 tablespoons unbleached organic flour

2 tablespoon marsala wine

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 small sweet onion – finely chopped

1 garlic clove – finely chopped

2 teaspoons butter

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, thyme (stem removed)

Instructions

Place a large stockpot over medium heat, add oil and heat until hot but not smoking.

Add onions and saute until softened – about 5 minutes

Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for less than a minute or until the garlic begins to color.

Add mushrooms and cook until they turn golden – about 5 minutes (stirring only occasionally).

Add flour, stir to coat the mushrooms, add the marsala, stir, season and cook for about 2 minutes.

Slowly add all the liquid, stirring to incorporate and cook for about 30 minutes; lower the heat if necessary, keeping the pot at a gentle boil.

Remove from the heat.

Working in batches, Puree 2/3 of the soup in a blender or food processor.

Return to the pot, stir in the butter, check the seasoning, and garnish with the fresh herbs

 

Have any questions about this recipe? See you in the comments.

Or if you’re rather just say a quick hello, that’s great too. I love hearing from you.

 

 

 

2 Comments
  1. marsha September 26, 2013 at 4:23 pm - Reply

    OOH! This looks PERFECT for a cosy fall evening, thanks Silvia!

  2. Andrea September 26, 2013 at 6:36 pm - Reply

    Ok, I’m done with the charade. I just want to move into your house and never, ever leave!

    Chicken marsala has long been an old standby in my kitchen, but I stopped eating meat several months ago, and I’m still trying really, really hard to give up dairy (sooo difficult!) so thank you for providing info on how to make cashew cream.

    The minute it dips below 70 degrees here in Los Angeles, I’m whipping this baby up!

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