Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

The second recipe that the Barefoot Bloggers were to make in September was Ina Garten's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup.

Yes, I'm late. What's new? One benefit to being late is that I got to see how everyone else's soup turned out before I started mine. Since several bloggers mentioned that soup was rather bland, I took the liberty of using chicken and vegetable broth rather than water as a base for the soup. I also followed the advice to puree the veggies used in making the mushroom stock and adding it back to the soup.

It turned out pretty well. I love mushrooms but I wasn't too thrilled with this soup. I still found it a bit bland. I can see that the stock did add some flavor, but for me, it still lacked something. Dh enjoyed the soup but, while I'm glad I tried this, I doubt that we'll be seeing this one again any time soon. Too much work for too little pay-off, imo.

Check out how the other Barefoot Bloggers did over here.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa at Home

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

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 there 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.