Dried Porcini Mushroom Soup

 Dried Porcini Mushroom Soup

This wonderful slow cooked mushroom soup recipe feeds eight to ten people and it makes a wonderful appetizer if you want to serve something hot. Obviously, soup is better for a sit-down dinner than for a buffet or picnic where finger food would be more suitable.

Another benefit to serving soup as an appetizer recipe is that you can leave it bubbling away on the stove or in the crockpot without having to keep an eye on it all the time. You can start crockpot mushroom soup in the morning and know that it will be ready by the evening. This is timesaving and if you are using a slow cooker that leaves the oven and stove free for other dishes.

Catering for vegetarians does not need to present any problems because there are so many vegetarian recipes you can use. If you are feeding strict non meat eaters you can replace the meat broth and consomme with vegetarian broth but this will radically change the flavor of the recipe.

You can use any wine you like for this recipe. Either white or red would be fine because the wine is just to add flavor to the recipe so just use a cup of whatever you have open. Alternatively, you can throw in a couple of tablespoons of brandy or sherry instead. This is a winter warmer of a recipe and it is perfect for the cooler seasons.

What You Need:

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup boiling water
1 can condensed beef consomme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 minced cloves garlic
2 finely chopped onions
2 lbs fresh sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cans condensed beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cracked peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 cup wine (red or white)
Crumbled soft goat's cheese
Heavy cream
Finely chopped fresh parsley, thyme leaves or chives

How To Make It:

Soak the Dried porcini mushrooms in the hot water for half an hour, then drain them through a sieve and keep the liquid. Pat the mushrooms dry with paper towels and chop them finely. Heat a tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over a moderate heat, then cook the fresh mushrooms until their liquid comes out. Put them in the slow cooker.

Melt the rest of the butter in the skillet and saute the onions until they are soft. Add the reserved porcini mushrooms, as well as the thyme, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Cook the mixture for a minute, and then transfer it to the slow cooker. Add the wine, bay leaf, broth, consomme and reserved liquid. Stir well and cover the slow cooker. Cook for six to eight hours on low or three to four hours on high.

Throw away the bay leaf. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then ladle the soup into serving bowls and drizzle some cream on top. Sprinkle the fresh herbs and goat's cheese on the soup and serve it immediately.