Mushrooms are one of those things you either love or hate. We happen to love them! One of our favorite cold-weather meals is a big bowl of Creamy Mushroom Soup with homemade bread.
Recently, our daughter and son-in-law went shopping at a local international market. She sent me this picture of their selection of mushrooms. (Ignore the silly one making faces please.) Guess what’s for dinner?
I asked her to pick out several types of mushrooms for me. We ended up with 8 different types of mushrooms: porcini, oyster, king oyster, baby bella, seafood, shiitake, brown shimeji, and white shimeji mushrooms. The shimeji mushrooms were new to me. They are the smaller mushrooms in the picture below. The larger mushrooms are very meaty with an earthy flavor. The small ones are just as delicious but are more tender than the others.
This mushroom soup can be made with only one type mushroom if that’s all that is available to you, or you can use any combination of mushrooms that you like. Just make sure you have the large, meaty type included for the texture this soup needs.
In a large, heavy stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally until they are browned and just becoming tender.
Next, add the garlic and Marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the flavor bits. Continue cooking until almost all of the wine has evaporated. Add the stock, rosemary, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I used beef stock for this recipe because I love the richness it provides. For a lighter version use chicken stock or vegetable stock if you prefer a vegetarian version.
Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of Marsala. Stir into the soup, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Pour in the heavy cream, stir, and simmer until it is heated through.
Serve this Creamy Mushroom Soup with crusty bread for the perfect Meatless Monday meal.
CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP
Ingredients
- 8 cups mushrooms roughly chopped in large pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
- 3 tablespoons Marsala wine for use later
- 5 cups beef stock, chicken stock, OR vegetable stock your choice
- 1 tablespoon rosemary finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large, heavy stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they are tender and translucent about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and saute for about 15 minutes until they are lightly browned and tender. Stir occasionally so they do not burn.
- Add the garlic and Marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the flavor bits. Continue cooking until almost all of the wine has evaporated.
- Stir in the stock, rosemary, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the corn starch with the 3 tablespoons of Marsala wine. Stir into the soup, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Pour in the heavy cream, stir, and simmer until it is heated through.
- Serve at once with crusty bread.
Notes
For more ideas in Soups, Stews, & Chowders, try these recipes:
Authentic German Goulash
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Brunswick Stew
Thanks for stopping by!
Leave a Reply