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Cream of Mushroom Soup

Leigh loves mushrooms and Cream of Mushroom Soup. I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit’s recipe and made a few minor changes to adjust for my available ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as crimini, shiitake, maitake, and/or oyster, trimmed, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 4 medium shallots, chopped
  • 1 large leek, light-green and white parts only, halved, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated, divided
  • ⅓ cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 sprigs thyme, divided
  • 5 ounces crusty bread, crust removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

Preparation:

  • Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms, undisturbed, until browned underneath, 3–4 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides and tender, 4–5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with 3 Tbsp. oil, remaining mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Set aside 1 cup mushrooms; transfer remaining mushrooms to bowl.
  • Heat same pot over medium. Cook shallots, leek, butter, and half of garlic, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 4–6 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until liquid is evaporated, 2–3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until vegetables are coated, about 1 minute. Whisk in stock, cream, and milk and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, 3 thyme sprigs, and mushrooms (not including the 1 cup) and any accumulated juices. Simmer, uncovered, until soup thickens to a heavy cream consistency, 25–35 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and add reserved 1 cup mushrooms. Return to a simmer.
  • Meanwhile, pulse bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook remaining 2 garlic cloves and 2 thyme sprigs, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and crisp, 7–10 minutes. Transfer breadcrumb mixture to paper towels. Remove thyme; season with salt.
  • Divide soup among bowls, then top with toasted breadcrumbs and a few twists of pepper.
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Ham Bone Soup w/ Beans

I usually make this hearty soup every spring after Easter dinner, but it is also the ideal fall warm up!! You know the routine, you get the spiral ham and then you have this meaty ham bone left over. What to do? Make Ham Bone Soup with Beans. This recipe is based off of the NY Times recipe because their picture looked good and the recipe was a little different than my standard go-to recipe. It was a bit of a risk as it called for “kale.” Leigh is not a great fan of kale but I took her standard answer “Follow your heart.” So here it is!

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips bacon, thick cut, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 ham bone 1 1/4 pounds, cut in half or in thirds – ask your butcher to do this
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt, plus additional to taste
  • ½ head green cabbage, shredded about 8 cup s
  • 3 cups cooked beans rinsed and drained if canned, such as cannellini, navy or pinto
  • 1 small bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces 6 cups
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce or apple cider vinegar, to taste

Preparation:

  • Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pot. Stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Drop in the ham bone and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Stir in the cabbage and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the kale and simmer until soft, but vibrantly green, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste). Add lots of pepper and a dash of hot sauce or vinegar. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.
Ham Bone Soup w/Beans