Mushroom Soup

A couple of weeks ago, we were at our favorite restaurant, Tavern, in Libertyville. One of the specials that evening was mushroom soup. It was a broth-based soup that included only butter for dairy. It was so tasty that I decided to try to replicate it at home. This recipe makes a great-tasting soup that, although not creamy, offers a strong earthy flavor. I used a stick blender to puree my soup, but if you prefer, you can leave the sliced mushrooms in the broth and eat it as is.

Adapted from www.thekitchn.com.


Makes about 2 quarts.

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried gourmet mushrooms
1/2 cup water
4 Tbsp grass-fed butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, washed and chopped
5 cups + 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 small sprig fresh rosemary (optional)

Preparation

1. Place mushrooms in a small bowl. 
2. Boil water and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
3. Pour water over dried mushrooms and let them sit for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. Warm butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until it becomes translucent. Reduce heat to low, add garlic, and continue to cook for 8 minutes.
5. Add baby bella mushrooms and stir to coat. Let sweat together with the onions and garlic for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Add stock, reserved mushroom steeping liquid, and rosemary. Simmer over low heat for one hour. Remove from heat.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. With a stick blender, puree contents of the pan. You can also enjoy it as is, without pureeing.