Homemade Mushroom Soup

In the midst of cold, rainy days there is nothing better than snuggling up next to the fireplace with a big bowl of hot, homemade soup and a new book to read. Even better, an intimate gathering of family and friends around a meal made with love. This holiday season try our homemade mushroom soup that is sure to satisfy everyone's taste buds!

The essence of the holiday season should be about spending time, not money. It’s about spending time away from work, with family and friends and a glass of eggnog. And also about spending time in the kitchen, slowing down, learning new dishes and relearning others, cooking from scratch for your loved ones to enjoy. This is the season of spending time warming up with warm drinks and warm soups, like my favorite homemade mushroom soup. Fresh, firm and plump mushrooms – Swiss brown, white button, shiitake, Portobello or a mix of them all – soaked in milk and cream, spiced with aromatic thyme bay leaves, and a dash of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of holiday nutmeg. You’ll never look at another can of mushroom soup again.

--Reese & Mark owners of Season with Spice – An Asian Spice Shop

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh mushrooms - cleaned and chopped finely (I used a mix of Swiss brown and white button)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tbsp. butter
½ tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of Season with Spice's Moroccan thyme
1 - 2 of Season with Spice's Turkish bay leaves
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp. flour dissolved in 1 tbsp. water
Salt to taste
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk (skim milk is fine)
Dash of Season with Spice's ground Indonesian nutmeg
Freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or thyme for garnish

Directions:
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!

Cooking Tips:
1. This recipe serves us as a good basic comfort soup, so you can always modify easily according to your preference. Feel free to increase the amount of mushrooms for a richer mushroom flavor. You can also swirl in a dash of sherry or truffle oil or wine or some caramelized sweet onions to create another depth to the soup.

2. 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.

This easy recipe is definitely one to make you feel like a first class chef, with your guests begging you for more at your next dinner party! Thanks to Reese and Mark, owners of Season with Spice, we share this recipe along with many other delightful dishes in our holiday cookbook, Sugar and Spice! So grab your toque and head to the kitchen for a holiday season filled with unforgettable flavors!

xo,
Ruche

♥

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