Adventures of an American cooking, eating and living in France

This mushroom soup is perfect for gloomy days

This mushroom soup is perfect for gloomy days

We’re now in early January, the time of year that starts about six weeks of wet, gloomy weather here in western France. It’s the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in bed all day. It’s the kind of weather that makes you forget what sunshine looks like. It’s the kind of weather that makes you question why you’re living in such a dreary place to begin with, even though the rest of the year is generally quite nice.

Luckily, this mushroom is there to provide comfort. is always good on cold, rainy days, and if you know me, you know I love soups. This mushroom-based concoction is the perfect combo of earthy and creamy, salty and herby. It goes wonderfully with a crusty baguette (truly, what doesn’t pair well with baguette?). It’ll warm you up when you come in from the cold, like it’s some sort of savory hot chocolate. And, like many soups, it’s extremely simple to make.

Here’s the recipe. Eat up!

Mushroom

  • Approximately 1 pint of sliced (baby portabella, crimini, or button, feel free to mix and match).
  • 2 cloves , diced
  • 1 large shallot, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh , minced
  • 1 teaspoon flour
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon
  • Warm about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot.
  • Sauté shallot until translucent.
  • Add and , stirring until start to brown. They should be mushy at this point, but not completely cooked down.
  • Add chopped . Mix thoroughly.
  • Add flour. Stir until mushroom mixture is well-coated.
  • Slowly add water, stirring constantly. Mixture should thicken, but not become gloopy. If it’s too thick, thin it out with more water.
  • Bring soup to rolling boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until liquid reduces by about 1/4.
  • When reduced, add . Blend with a hand blender.
  • Season to taste. Garnish with drops of olive oil.
  • Medium to large stockpot
  • Hand blender


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