Lightened Up: Creamy Mushroom Soup
It’s cold, it’s been cold which means it’s soup weather! America’s Test Kitchen recently tweeted a recipe for mushroom soup. I was so excited because it has been insanely difficult to find a really good mushroom soup recipe. We buy the canned version way more than we should, but now the kids like it – so I have to share. Many years ago, pre-kids, I tried Julia Child’s recipe for Mushroom Soup, but was sadly disappointed. The recipe is really easy and I am excited to add this to my recipe collection!
Get the Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe (free-registration), lightened up version below
The kicker with this recipe is uses THREE pounds of mushrooms for the original recipe and TWO pounds for the lightened up version. At most grocery stores around here an 80z pack of mushrooms runs you about $2, so this means you need 4-6 packs of mushrooms. (Wallet is crying….) Now, if you’re lucky like I was – Aldi’s frequently has mushrooms on sale and I got my mushrooms for half that price! (I paid $0.89 for the white buttons, and $.99 for the baby bellas). You can search online for your own mushroom conversions, but I figure 16oz in a pound, which means two packs of mushroom per pound (so 4 packs for the light version, 6 for the full-fat original version above).
I prepped all the mushrooms and intended to stop there while I went to shovel snow, but I wasn’t sure if I could leave the cut mushrooms that long without doing something. I decided to cook the mushrooms, butter, onion (no leeks) and salt to get a head start on things. I turned the heat off and covered the mushrooms and figured I would pick the recipe up where I left off. I came back inside and I guess the salt did most of the work for me, as the mushrooms were covered in liquid and very soft.
Finishing the recipe was a breeze with the broth, cream, garlic and lemon juice. What the soup lacks in prettiness, it makes up for in taste! I look forward to eating this many times over, and using in other recipes as well! Thanks for another great recipe America’s Test Kitchen!
Lightened Up: Creamy Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds white mushrooms broken into rough pieces
- 2 leeks white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin and rinsed thoroughly
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup Madeira sherry, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine the mushrooms, leeks, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are well-browned, 8 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer 2/3 cup of the mushroom mixture to a cutting board, chop fine and set aside.
- Stir the garlic and thyme into the pot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and Madeira, bring to a simmer, and cook until the mushrooms and leeks are completely tender, about 20 minutes.
- Working in 2 batches, process the soup in a blender until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return the soup to the pot. Stir in the chopped mushroom mixture, half-and-half and lemon juice and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve, drizzling individual portions with additional Madeira.
https://www.thesugarpixie.net/2014/01/26/lightened-up-creamy-mushroom-soup/Lightened Up: Creamy Mushroom Souphttps://i0.wp.com/www.thesugarpixie.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/MushroomSoup4.jpg?fit=500%2C332&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/www.thesugarpixie.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/MushroomSoup4.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1Recipesamerica's test kitchen,garlic,light,mushroom,soupIt's cold, it's been cold which means it's soup weather! America's Test Kitchen recently tweeted a recipe for mushroom soup. I was so excited because it has been insanely difficult to find a really good mushroom soup recipe. We buy the canned version way more than we should, but...thesugarpixie thesugarpixie@gmail.comAdministratorThe Sugar Pixie
