The Scoop On This Soup
No secret, I love to make soup. My favorites are usually very easy to make and very forgiving. This one is no exception. Since I am a complete mushroom addict, this is a favorite, for sure! This soup is so full of rich mushroom flavor. I make it by roasting the mushrooms first. If you can get your hands on a variety of “wild” mushrooms, try this Roasted Wild Mushroom Soup with Cognac and Rosemary. Full of the earthy, mushroom flavor I love, but also a little decadent with the taste of cognac and a hint of cream.
I just received a box of the most beautiful mushrooms from @goldcoastmushrooms (you can find them on facebook).
They are cultivating a variety of mushrooms, including my favorites, oyster mushroom and a number of others. Thanks to my friends Scott and Stephanie for making the arrangements especially during these stranger than fiction days. In this beautiful shipment, oyster mushrooms, both pink and blue, shiitake, lionsmane. So technically, this soup is not made from wild forged mushrooms, but, you will be wild about the mushrooms!
I find that people either love or hate mushrooms, there’s no middle ground. My husband is the later, so I grudgingly tend to leave them out of most things I make. This soup is all for me! I can eat a very disturbing amount of mushrooms. In this soup, you can use any combination of your favorite mushrooms.
How About Those Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are packed with nutritional value. They’re low in calories, but are also filled with vitamins and minerals. I’ve always been curious about mushrooms because, if you are what you eat, then I am a real “funghi” (fun-guy, get it). Seriously, I always wondered if I was lacking in some sort of nutrient provided by mushrooms. Turns out, they’re packed with good stuff! B vitamins, selenium, potassium, and copper. Even though mushrooms are generally white, they are filled with as many antioxidants as more colorful fruits and vegetables. So, eat your mushrooms my friends!
Cognac vs. Brandy
Like champagne is to sparking wine, so is cognac to brandy. Cognac is from a specific region in France and brandy is it’s name when it comes from any other region. You can exchange cognac for brandy in this recipe. If you don’t have either, try this with sherry in equal measure.
Roasted Wild Mushroom Soup with Cognac and Rosemary and Thyme
Preheat oven to 400° Line a baking sheet with foil.
Gently clean the mushrooms of dirt with a mushroom brush or light towel. Slice large mushrooms into 1/2 or quarters and put them onto the baking dish. Smash 3-4 cloves of garlic and put them onto the sheet as well. Add 2-3 sprigs of thyme and top with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Toss to coat well. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and brown around the edges. (By the way, this will smell just like heaven on earth!)
Once cool enough, remove from the tray. Chop mushrooms and finely chop the garlic. Discard the thyme sprigs.
In a medium sized heavy bottomed pot, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to melt on low heat. Add 2 chopped shallots (about 1 cup) and 2 teaspoons of very finely chopped rosemary, and saute in the butter until translucent and then just starting to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add 1/4 cup all purpose flour and stir to combine. Cook about 2 minutes, letting the flour thicken and slightly brown.
Add 1/2 cup cognac, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Next, add 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, stirring well, then increase heat to high and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
Add the roasted wild mushrooms, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves.
Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Enjoy!
Soup, Roasted Wild Mushroom Soup with Garlic, Sherry and Thyme
Ingredients
- 2 lbs mixed wild mushrooms, any of your favorite variety
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1-2 fresh sprigs of thyme, plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves (divided)
- 2 teaspoons very finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cognac
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Gently clean the mushrooms of dirt with a mushroom brush or light towel.
- Slice large mushrooms into 1/2 or quarters and put them onto the baking dish.
- Smash 3-4 cloves of garlic and put them onto the sheet as well.
- Add 2-3 sprigs of thyme and top with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Toss to coat well.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- Once cool enough, remove from the tray.
- Chop mushrooms and finely chop the garlic.
- Discard the thyme sprigs.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a medium sized heavy bottomed pot, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to melt on low heat.
- Add 2 chopped shallots (about 1 cup) and 2 teaspoons of very finely chopped rosemary, and saute in the butter until translucent and then starting to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium and add 1/4 cup all purpose flour and stir to combine.
- Cook about 2 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup cognac, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, stirring well.
- Increase heat to high and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Enjoy!
