Roasted Mushroom Soup
Nourish
- Course: Soup
- Features: Healthy
Summary:
Roasting vegetables is a great way to develop rich flavor without adding a lot of fat, which gives you some calories to play with when you finish this soup. It's also an easy, fairly quick and low-maintenance cooking method.
Here, for example, the mushrooms and onions are tossed with just enough oil to lightly coat them plus a little salt and pepper. Then they go right into the oven, needing only to be turned and stirred every 15 minute or so for about 45 minutes. The vegetables brown beautifully, and the flavors become concentrated.
While the mushrooms cook, I heat chicken broth with fresh thyme, infusing the flavor of the herb into the soup. A little sherry adds a traditional flavor element. The mushrooms and onions are added to the broth, and the whole mixture is pureed but left with a little texture. Because very little fat was used to prepare the soup, each portion can be enriched with a spoonful of sour cream or creme fraiche.
MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be prepared, cooled and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.
Makes about 6 cups (8 servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as button, cremini and oyster, cleaned, stemmed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken broth
- 17 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- Water, as needed
- 5 to 6 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche, for serving
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the mushrooms, onions, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a large roasting pan; toss to evenly distribute the oil and seasonings. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned.
While the vegetables roast, combine the broth and 15 of the thyme sprigs in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the thyme sprigs.
Stir in the sherry and the roasted mushroom-onion mixture; increase the heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the mixture into a soup that retains a little texture, or, working in batches, transfer it to a blender; before you puree, remove the center knob in the lid and place a clean dish towel over the top. Puree until almost smooth. Return to the saucepan.
If the soup is too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of water to achieve the desired consistency.
Serve the soup with a small spoonful of sour cream or creme fraiche, about 2 teaspoons per serving. Garnish with the leaves from the remaining sprigs of thyme, if desired.
Recipe Source:
From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Michael Temchine For The Washington Post)
