Chester County Mushroom Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
• Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
• Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
• Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices and a few thyme leaves.

Steps:

• In a 2 quart saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth.
• Gradually stir in broth until smooth. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute the celery and onion in oil until tender. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender.
• Add veggies to broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add cream and heat through. Discard bay leaves and serve.

Steps:

• Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if they are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
• To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.
• Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 5 cups very hot water until soft, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. When they are tender, remove mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid; slice or chop if the pieces are large.
• Meanwhile, put the butter in a large pot that can later be covered over medium heat. When it melts, add the herb, onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high, and add the fresh mushrooms; add the soaked mushrooms when they're ready. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and begun to brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the sherry or Madeira to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom as the liquor starts to bubble. Add the stock or soaking liquid and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook, covered, until flavors have melded, about 15 minutes.
• Discard the herb. Reduce the heat to low, and purée the liquid with a hand-held mixer to desired consistency. (I like it half-puréed.) Add the cream if you're using it; stir to combine and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; garnish with parsley and serve.

Steps:

• Rinse mushrooms and pat dry. Slice in half. Rinse off any bugs or dirt and chop.
• Melt butter in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir mushroom pieces into the shallots and toss in a generous pinch of salt to help draw out their juices. Add pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Continue to cook until mushroom pieces shrink in size and brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock into the pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, 10 to 20 minutes.
• Ladle soup into a high-powered blender. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; blend on high until pureed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add half-and-half and blend for 1 minute more. Return blended soup to the pot. Heat until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, shallots, onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all mushrooms and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add white wine and Sherry. Boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 6 minutes.
• Mix remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup flour in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add flour paste to mushroom mixture in pot; stir until mixture melts and coats vegetables. Gradually mix in stock. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mushrooms are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender or processor until smooth. Return soup to pot. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.) Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the shiitake mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, and shallots for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Mix in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the chicken broth. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.
• Stir in the half-and-half, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Heat through, but do not boil.

Steps:

• In a 2-qt. saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in broth until smooth. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. , Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute the celery and onion in oil until tender. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Add to broth mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream; heat through. Discard bay leaves.