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November 29, 2007

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Favorite Trader Joe’s Concoction: Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ever have one of those nights where you come home from the grocery store with SOOO many potential dinner options and you can’t think of what you REALLY want to make/eat?  And then all of a sudden you make something that you had no intention of making when you bought your groceries?  That’s what happened Tuesday night.

I bought mushrooms on Tuesday.  I LOVE mushrooms.  Husband-not so much.  But he’s been eating mushrooms in stuff lately….so I figured I should go full force and make some mushroom soup.  Baptism by fire anyone?

Over the summer I read Ruth Reichl’s Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table (fabulous book btw).  I whipped out her recipe for mushroom soup from the book because it sounded so damn good….This makes about 4 bowls worth. Maybe less… I lost count because I was in a mushroom soup coma.

Here are the ‘shrooms I used along with the whipping cream (don’t be a hater!) and Beef Broth Concentrate from Trader Joe’s (totally easy/excellent!)
sliced crimini mushrooms- as it says

cream makes everything good  savory beef broth has an affair with butter. don't tell anyone

Here’s your ingredients:

  • 10 oz. sliced mushrooms (I used crimini for this soup)
  • 1/2 stick butter (you can cut that in half if you are feeling chubby)
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup of beef broth (I used 1 packet of the TJ’s condensed beef broth mixed with 1 cup water)
  • 2 cups half & half  (I used 1 3/4 cup whole milk mixed with 1/4 cup whipping cream)
  • Salt & Pepper to taste (I added a lot)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Trader Joe’s Black Truffle Oil (when in Rome-right?)

Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. When foam subsides, add onion and sautee until golden. Add mushrooms and sautee those babies until brown.

Here’s me sauteeing some mushrooms.  They’re not brown enough yet:

browning the mushrooms & onions

Stir in flour to coat the mushrooms. Then slowly stir in broth.  Heat half and half/milk on the stove or in the microwave and slowly add to pot. Add the nutmeg & bay leaf.  Stir thoroughly to ensure that everything is incorporated. Simmer on low for ten minutes (do not boil). Add salt & pepper to taste.

I was thinking a little red wine or brandy would be good mixed in.  I’ll have to try that next time!

Pour into your bowl & top the soup with little splashes of the Black Truffle Oil and more Salt & Pepper.

mushroom soup

Put a spoon in and moan. You will. I promise.

bits of mushrooms...mmmm

The only thing that I didn’t like about this soup was that there were no leftovers!

  • xsquared

    Well, I know what I’m making this weekend!

    My local paper just ran a little blurb about a new cookbook that made me think of your blog:
    http://cookingwithtraderjoes.com/Home.html

  • whitney

    I need to go to TJ’s tonight (we’re out of sliced almonds!), but I think I may pick up all the ingredients for this soup! Yum!

  • Anna

    I made mushroom soup yesterday, but yours looks so much better. I’ll try it next time! Mmm, mushrooms.

  • wootowl

    this looks sooooooo good bebe! i wasn’t much of a mushroom fan until grace made mushroom soup for me. after that i was a convert. so i think this is a good way to bring reluctant mushroomers over to the better side…

  • Melisser

    Ever have one of those nights where you come home from the grocery store with SOOO many potential dinner options and you can’t think of what you REALLY want to make/eat? And then all of a sudden you make something that you had no intention of making when you bought your groceries?

    SOOOO been there! I have some chanterelle mushrooms right now, I need to decide what to do with them!

  • Chin

    Sounds delicious! I tried to make a vegetarian version of mushroom soup without the stock by using my all time favorite Poloku (www.poloku.us) mushroom seasoning!!

  • Emily

    made this a while back and am making it again – amazing and delish! thanks for the recipe!

  • danielle

    nom nom noms….I made this soup last night for dinners and the hubz and I could not stop eating it! I love your blog for inspiration! I used vegetable stock instead of the beef and added dry vermouth to the onion and mushroom saute (before the addition of flour). perfect and so easy!

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