best ever cream of mushroom soup….

It was several years back when my daughter Brianne was away at school that she came across this recipe for mushroom soup. She tried it herself and then she passed it on to me after raving about how good it was and I have been making it from that time on and it is the best mushroom soup ever! It is very simple to make, the ingredient list is not long and you might very well have most of them in your pantry except for the fresh mushrooms.

Just this past week Brianne was stopping in for lunch during her workday and she was thinking that mushroom soup might be tasty. I hadn't' made it in a while so off I went to the grocer's and actually found organic mushrooms on sale so I scooped them up right away and returned home to begin making the soup. It really is a quick and easy recipe and before I knew it we were sitting down to a delicious bowl of homemade mushroom soup!

I tend to use the white button mushrooms and have used crimini also, but do give other types a try too.

Here are some mushroom facts & tips:

• a few cultivated varieties such as white button, crimini, portobello, and enoki can be eaten raw
• most wild varieties should be cooked to ensure food safety
• contain potassium, copper, selenium and are a good source of certain B vitamins
• recent research shows they have powerful phytonutrient potential 
• choose only whole and dry mushrooms with spongy, firm, plump caps
• refrigerate in a paper bag, often provided by the grocer
• if they come from the grocer in plastic as mine did, transfer them to a paper bag for storage with the exception of beech and enoki that will do well in their original container
• most mushrooms can be cleaned with a soft cloth or a vegetable brush
• if you need to rinse them use as little water as possible to prevent nutrient loss and changes in texture
• to reconstitute dry mushrooms cover with hot water and let soak for 30 minutes. These mushrooms will have a chewier consistency and the broth can be used in soups or stews.

It's time to share the recipe with all of you now and I hope you give it a try and love it as much as we do!

I think it was the first time I had noticed organic mushrooms at my local grocer and I was not only thrilled with that but they were on sale so that was even better!

Chop the mushrooms up into whatever size you like to serve in your soup. These were quite large so I ended up cutting them in half. I do like the look of whole slices in the soup for a nice presentation.

Saute them in the butter for several minutes until they become nice and soft.

Whisk the flour into the broth. Since my daughter is vegetarian I always use a veggie broth but you can use chicken or probably even beef broth if you want to enhance the flavour at bit more. She is also gluten sensitive so I use a gluten free flour for her and it works just as well.

Stir the broth into the mushroom mixture and keep stirring until it thickens. Add your cream and watch it become a lovely consistency.

Voila! A delicious bowl of soup ready for your lunch or a first course for dinner. I think it rates as good as any soup you will find on a restaurant menu! Yes, it's that good! 

Best Ever Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 tbsp butter

3 cups mushrooms

1 3/4 cups broth (of your choice)

6 tbsp flour 

1 cup cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper 

Melt your butter on medium-high heat and add the mushrooms and stir until tender. Turn the heat down to medium. 

Combine the flour and broth in a separate bowl until smooth. 

Add to the mushrooms and stir until it begins to thicken nicely. 

Add the cream and continue to stir until it is fully incorporated, then add the salt and pepper. 

Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. 

Serves 2 good sized bowls of soup.

I hope you will give it a try and let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!!

Maggie