Hearty Mushroom Soup

Many of us are trying to eat healthier these days. And as winter, with its cold winds, rapidly approaches a bowl of steaming hot soup is always welcome. I developed this recipe at the urging of my friends who wanted a hearty soup that would work with their diet regimen. Specifically, if you are on the Weight Watchers plan this soup works out to 2.5 points per cup when prepared as written.  It is a very flexible recipe. You can add any variety of mushrooms that you enjoy. I find that using a large portion of the less expensive button mushrooms makes it more economical. This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily to feed a crowd. And for those times when you feel like an indulgence, replacing the 2% milk with half and half or cream produces a richer, more luxurious taste. Also adding a shot or two of good sherry only improves the flavor. Just remember, WW people, once you start adding the cream and sherry sadly it is no longer 2.5 points per cup!

 Hearty Mushroom Soup                                       Yields: 2 quarts or 8 (1cup) servings

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely diced onion

½ cup finely diced celery

1 ½ pounds white button mushrooms

1 pound mushrooms- any type (cremini, portabella, chanterelles, morels)

¾ cup flour; divided into 2 equal parts

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 large can Chicken Broth (49 ounce)

1 cup 2% milk

1)       In a large heavy pot sauté onion and celery in 1 tablespoon of butter until softened.

2)       While onions and celery are sautéing, chop ¾ of all the mushrooms into small, coarse pieces. Slice remaining mushrooms into ¼ inch slices.

3)      Add chopped mushrooms to pot. Sauté until mushrooms soften and release their moisture.

4)      Add chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.

5)      Make a roux from the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and ½ the flour. To make a roux, melt the butter in a small pan. When it is completely melted, whisk in the flour all at once, cook the roux for a minute or 2 until it is golden. This is your thickening agent for the soup.

6)      Whisk roux into soup, bring to a boil. Allow to boil gently for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the starch flavor. If you prefer a thicker soup, use remaining flour to make  a slurry with ½ cup water to thicken soup further.

7)      Add sliced mushrooms to the soup. Cover and allow to simmer until sliced mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

8)      Whisk milk into soup; heat until hot, but do not boil. Remove bay leaf and djust seasonings to taste.