Cream of Mushroom Soup

Twenty short years ago I married the love of my life! I have not regretted a single minute of the most fantastic love affair anyone could every imagine. Rick surprised me with a dream honeymoon to St. Thomas. Our first evening we ate at a French restaurant overlooking the city and the arbor. Here in the south, we eat much earlier than they do in the islands. We were the only ones with a 6:30 reservation. 

Our first course was a mushroom gratinee in a bowl of lady fingers and covered with a yummy layer of lightly melted cheese. First up was to figure out how to eat this wonderful looking dish. Our server instructed us to, in his words "Just dive in." which we did. 

That was many years before Rick was diagnosed with Celiac/gluten intolerance. In the interim, we perfected a similar dish that we also enjoyed for a long time.

After Rick's diagnosis, I quickly realized that if I wanted to continue to make some of our favorite casseroles, I was going to have to get with the program and develop cream soup recipes. My first attempt was adapted the gratinee recipe which contained a few additional ingredients that simply did not fit in with a traditional creamed soup.

You can use whatever type of mushroom you like, but I generally use just  plain ole' mushrooms because they are usually less expensive and are going to be pureed. I generally freeze approximately 12 ounces per container, which is close to the proportion in a traditional commercially prepared condensed cream of soup. Make not mistake--this soup is yummy enough to be served as a first course, which I have done many times.

One warning: Use within 4 to 8 weeks to prevent a build up of ice crystals. 

Here is my recipe: 

1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, minced

1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 1/4 cups Jackie's Homemade Chicken Stock

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

1 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

Here is how I put this recipe together:

1. Place mushrooms, green onions, and garlic in food processor. Process until very fine; set aside. Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add minced vegetables and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add 4 to 6 tablespoons of chicken stock to cornstarch; stir to make until smooth using additional chicken stock if necessary.

3. Add cornstarch mixture, stirring until mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add chicken broth to pan. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring often. Using a hand blender, puree the mixture.

4. Stir in wine, whipping cream and parsley. To serve, pour into small bowls. Garnish with a spoon full of sour cream and chopped parsley flakes.

Servings: 8                  Yield: 1 quart

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne

Copyright: 2013

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