It is starting to get a bit colder outside and that always mean time to make soup! With the holidays just around the corner, this Wild Mushroom Soup with Madeira is the perfect soup for a special occasion as well. So if you are busy planning your holiday meal, you might want to try this soup. Once you make it once you will make it every year!
I make this Wild Mushroom Soup every Thanksgiving and always double the recipe. It is requested every year without fail! This soup is so hearty and delicious it tastes as if it is a cream based soup but there is not one drop of milk or cream in the soup. I know the recipe says to use a blender or food processor to puree the soup but one of my favorite gadgets the hand held immersion blender does the trick quite well and is one less major thing to wash! I blend the soup in the pot it was made, it could not get any easier than that. If you by chance have any extra, the soup freezes well.
Let me know if you make the soup and how you and your family enjoyed it.
Wild Mushroom Soup with Madeira from the New Basic Cookbook
½ cup Madeira
2 ¾ chicken broth
1 oz dried morels (can substitute dried shiitakes or cepes) Note: Morels are quite expensive and if you substitute the dried morels and use shitakes or cepes, you and your guests will not notice a difference in taste.
3 leeks, white part only well rinsed and dried
1 onion
4T (½ stick) butter
3T unbleached flour
2 ¼ cup beef stock
1 lb fresh button mushrooms, stems removed
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Crème fraîche
1 bunch snipped fresh chives (2T) for garnish
In small saucepan, combine the Maderia, ½ cup chicken stock, and the morels. Bring to boil and remove from heat, let stand for 30 minutes.
Dice the leeks and onions. Melt the butter in large soup pan. Add the leeks and onion, cook over low heat until wilted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir, cook for 5 more minutes.
Add remaining 2 ¼ cup chicken stock, beef stock, button mushrooms, morels and their soaking liquid and salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered, until mushrooms are soft, 30 minutes. Allow the soup to cool slightly.
Purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Return soup to pot and heat through over low heat. Serve garnished with a dollop of crème fraiche and snipped chives.
Enjoy!
