Take A Bite Of: Cream of Mushroom soup

I love soup. Oh, I do. And I wish I loved all the broth-and- vegetable- only combination the most. But no. My favorite soups are creamy and thick, Cream of Mushroom at the top of the list. But I have good news for you. My most recent culinary foray is into the world of soups. My mission is to create the same soups I love but in much healthier format. Most cream based soups involve a lot of butter, a lot of cream, and then some more butter and cream.  But I have made multiple soups in the past two weeks that pack all the thick and creamy you need and are super healthy. Here is my new favorite to share with you. From my kitchen to yours, enjoy every bite.

JennyMac's Cream of Mushroom soup 

1 T butter

2 garlic cloves

½ shallot

White pepper

Ground or fresh thyme

12 oz mushrooms, sliced

¼ c flour

2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

Croutons or crostini

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Chop two garlic cloves and ½ of a small shallot. Add to the pot stirring several times. Allow the heat to sweat the aromatics for several minutes.  Add your mushrooms and stir. Saute until mushrooms begin to expel liquid and darken in color. At this point I added about 2 teaspoons of white pepper (it adds a LOT of kick so if kick is not your thing, add it in smaller increments) and a teaspoon of ground thyme. If you do not have white pepper or thyme, use smaller amounts of ground pepper, salt and other seasonings you like. If you want some great ideas about pairing flavors and food, I got the most amazing book for Christmas: The Flavor Bible.

Add 2 cups of stock and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using an immersion blender, place the blender in the pot and begin to puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use transfer the soup in portions to a blender or food processor. (You should also buy an immersion blender because they are incredibly handy. I use the Cuisinart. LOVE! One of my top ten kitchen gadgets.)

You can blend the soup completely to be perfectly smooth or you can puree only a portion to give it a smooth texture but still great pieces of mushroom.

Top with croutons or crostini. I also used a drizzle of white truffle oil. Delicious.