When I was shopping for ingredients for my recent coq au vin recipe, I ending up buying too many mushrooms.
That wasn’t a bad thing, because I knew I could use them in another dish.
An opportunity arose two days later. It was pouring rain — a perfect time to use the mushrooms in a warming, comforting soup for lunch.
To make this soup for two, I thinly sliced the mix of white and brown mushrooms, then sautéed them in butter with some shallots until the mushrooms were tender and the moisture seeping from them had evaporated. (Butter wonderfully enriches the flavour of mushrooms, but if you don’t want to use it, you can use olive oil, instead.)
After the mushrooms were sautéed, I added flavourings, including garlic, sage (you could also use thyme) and paprika.
I then mixed in some flour, creating a roux, then added stock — chicken or vegetable — along with two other flavourings, splashes of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. The soup was then simmered until lightly thickened and flavourful.
To finish the soup, I mixed in some half and half (10 per cent) cream, but you could also use milk. For a hit of green colour, I added chopped parsley, which could be replaced with green onion.
After the soup was seasoned with salt and pepper, it was ready to ladle in bowls and serve.
To make a hearty lunch of the soup, serve it with slices of dense, hearty whole-wheat bread.
Creamy Mushroom Soup for Two
A creamy soup that’s rich with mushrooms and flavourings such as onions, sage (or thyme) and garlic
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 23 to 28 minutes
Makes: two servings
3 Tbsp butter (see Eric’s options)
1/2 lb. medium white and/or brown mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or onion
1 medium or large garlic clove, minced
1/2 dried sage leaves or thyme (see Note)
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (divided)
• splash each Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco (optional)
1/2 cup half and half (10 per cent) cream or whole (homo) milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley or minced green onion
Set the butter in a medium pot set over medium heat. When butter is melted, add mushrooms and shallots (or onions) and cook until mushrooms are tender and the moisture seeping out from them has evaporated, about five to six minutes.
Mix in the garlic, sage (or thyme), paprika and flour and cook and stir one to two minutes more. Slowly mix in 1/2 cup of the stock. When mixture becomes very thick, slowly stir in the remaining stock, and then mix in the Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, if using.
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, lowering the heat as needed to maintain that to gentle simmer. Simmer soup 10 minutes. Stir in the cream (or milk) and let it heat through two minutes.
Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper, then mix in the parsley (or green onion). The soup is now ready to serve.
Note: Dried sage leaves are tiny, dried bits of crumbled sage. It’s sold in the bottled herb aisle of grocery stores. Don’t confuse it with powdery ground sage.
Eric’s options: If you don’t want to use butter, replace it with an equal of amount of olive oil. If you don’t want to use cream or milk, replace it with an unsweetened, non-dairy beverage, such as soy beverage.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
