Cream of Mushroom Soup

5 (3)

Just the name – Cream of Mushroom Soup – gets my taste buds going. Soups made with cream and mushrooms have been around for centuries. Ancient Italians made Salsa Colla and the French are well known for their Béchamel cream sauces into which they add other ingredients. In this country, the Campbell Soup Company began producing its well-known ‘Cream of Mushroom Soup’ in 1934. And we have all used their soup over the years. This recipe is a few more steps than opening a can but it is so worth it. Here is how I make it.

Melt a stick of butter in a large soup pot and add 2 diced onions. Sprinkle with salt and cook over low heat until the onions start to brown – 15 to 20 minutes. While the onions brown, remove the stems from 1 pound of whole mushrooms and discard. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice into ½ inch pieces. When the onions are browned, add the mushrooms, and cook for 10 minutes or until they are browned and tender.

Then add 1 teaspoon of minced thyme and stir for 1 minute. Sprinkle over ¼ cup of flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of white wine scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 quart of vegetable stock, a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Finally add 1 cup of half-and-half, 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/3 cup of minced flat-leaf parsley. Stir and heat until everything is warmed through but not boiling.

And that is it. I served this at a luncheon recently and it was a big hit. I hope you will try it. Enjoy!