I think this blog should be called the Soup & Cookie Blog. Or Cookies before Soup. Or Soup vs Cookies, where I would be at a complete loss, because how do you choose between two of your favorite things. It would be like picking between your left or right hand. I kind of have an attachment to both. So, not Soup vs Cookies. Or Cookie Soup…which brings about a mental picture of cookies floating in a bowl of milk. Which is kinda how I eat Oreos, but no one needs to know that.
I updated the recipe archives yesterday ( which was way behind because I kinda suck at keeping up on the small things…on this blog and in life in general) and I noticed that I have a crazy amount of soups and cookies. Like more than half of the nearly 200 posts have been either cookies or soups. I have a cookie situation and a soup problem. Or is it soup problem and cookie situation. Either way it is OUT OF CONTROL.
A large pot of soup provides me with a weeks worth of easily portable, reheatable, delicious lunches. A large pot of soup made on Sunday evening allows me to hit the snooze button 2 more times Monday through Friday. Soup allows me to stand sleep in the shower a few more minutes every morning. Stand sleep…you know what that is. Right? OK, good. I was afraid I was the only one sleeping while standing in the shower. Large pots of soup allow me to enjoy my morning coffee or apply eye make-up or find matching socks. It takes seconds to laddle soup into a tupperware container and go. And this is why I eat a lot of soup…besides it being totally awesome.
And today friends…today is no different and the soup du jour is cream of mushroom. I adore cream of mushroom and I have since I was old enough to work a can opener. I was such a weird kid. And that kid still lives on inside me. I have moved beyond the condensed version, which when in a bind, totally hits the spot, but I have found a few other canned versions that have kinda rocked my world. But boy are they expensive and full of sodium and well, canned.
And since I don’t eat store bought cookies, why would I eat canned soup? No reason, really. Not anymore at least. I have a whole recipe archive of soups….
| Cream of Mushroom Soup |
- 2 lbs. Mushrooms, sliced ( I used a combination of baby portabella and snow cap mushrooms)
- 1 Package (1 ounce) Dried Mushrooms
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 3 to 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 2 Bay Leafs
- 6 Cups Chicken Stock, low sodium
- 2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- Soak dried mushrooms in one cup warm water for about 30 to 45 minutes. When mushrooms are plump and re-hydrated, strain mushrooms through sieve lined with cheese cloth (to catch any grit and grime). Reserve mushrooms and mushroom water. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms, worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leafs…let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add stock, rehydrated mushrooms, and mushroom water. Bring soup to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. ( 1-2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper)
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 Cup Flour and 1/4 Cup water and whisk until smooth.
- Add flour and water mixture to soup and stir until flour is dissolved. Let soup simmer for about 30 minutes, until mushrooms are soft and tender.
- Stir in cream and heavy cream.
- Transfer 1/3 to 1/2 of soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour blended soup back into the main pot and warm soup until ready to serve.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a hunk of crusty bread.
Fork Vs Spoon 
yeah i can’t eat canned soup. Well i eat a few but very few exceptions. So I have never had cream of mushroom soup. I have to pin this to try it later.
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Oh my gosh! I love mushrooms! And, unfortunately, my hubby hates them. Too many squishy, rubbery, canned mushrooms will do that to a person. So I’d have to make this recipe just for me and my baby, but I wouldn’t complain.
Just beautiful.
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Who needs canned soup when you make the real thing look so easy and delicious?! A fabulous recipe that has me craving soup, thanks for sharing!
-Shannon
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Thanks so much for stopping by!
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