BB: Cream of Mushroom and Asparagus Soup

For our last Barefoot Blogger recipe of the month, Chelle of Brown Eyed Baker chose Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup. Now I wouldn't consider myself a terribly picky person (that is reserved for my youngest sister who is beyond picky...seriously). But mushrooms are on my short list of DO NOT LIKE. So I was obviously not thrilled with this choice.

But...one of the reasons I started this blog was to challenge myself to try new things. And that includes things like mushrooms. I will admit that I do somewhat like shitake mushrooms because of their meaty texture. I had planned on using them in this soup...until I saw their price at the grocery store. $6 for 3 oz? Uh no. So in the spirit of trying new things, I picked the portobello's sitting next to them that were significantly cheaper. Not the texture I like in my mushrooms but hey...they're a 'new thing'!

Now I may be trying new things but there is only so much fungi I can take. So because I was halving the recipe, I supplemented the rest of the mushrooms with one of my favorite vegetables, asparagus. I love asparagus soup so I was fairly confident that I would enjoy this version. Oh...and I because I like my cream of...whatever soups smooth, I pureed part of this soup. No it wasn't just to hide the mushrooms! At least that's what I told Charlie.

To lighten up the fat and calorie content, I used fat free half and half instead of the half and half/heavy cream combo. While it was probably not as creamy as the full Ina version, this soup certainly had some yummy flavor. It was smooth and delicious. I could taste the mushrooms but the asparagus flavor made it not to overwhelming. This was a good soup to end September with now that we are heading into fall weather. It brings back memories of spring with its veggie flavor.

Forgive me for being late, vacation, bday, and the toe (I know! I know! I'm a whiner!) caused me to run behind. October should be better!

Check out the other Barefoot Bloggers for more yummy soup goodness!


Cream of Mushroom and Asparagus Soup

Adapted from Ina Garten's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

My changes are noted.

Ingredients

* 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
* 5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms (I just used 5 oz of portobello and added 1 bunch of asparagus)
* 5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
* 1 tablespoon good olive oil
* 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
* 1 cup chopped yellow onion
* 1 carrot, chopped
* 1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks) (Didn't use. Too $$)
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup half-and-half (I used fat free half and half and no heavy cream)
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock (I cheated and used pre-made), heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks (or asparagus). Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown.

Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.