Cream of Mushroom Soup

For a long time now, I’ve wanted to make my own homemade cream of mushroom soup, but hadn’t really found anything which peaked my interest... Until this recipe! I came across Chef Dennis’ blog, More Than A Mount Full, a couple months ago, I think, while looking for something completely different. I can’t remember what I was looking for anymore, but when I found his recipe, I knew I had to try it…
I did change a few things from the original recipe (Shocking, right?!), but it was mostly just because I was going by what I could find and then I happened across some mushrooms that were on sale at my local market. The mushroom mélange wasn’t exactly on sale, but when I only spent $1.00 for each of the other packages of mushrooms, an extra couple of dollars didn’t seem so terrible to spend… Also, since I wasn’t using the dried and reconstituted mushrooms, I wanted another little bit of a flavor component, so I decided to add the garlic. I ended up using a lot more stock than was recommended, because my roux ended up being very thick with the entire 1 cup of flour. I would thin it out with the stock while cooking it, and then it would get really thick again, so I ended up using much more stock than was called for in the original! This is when I used the different kind of stock because I ran out of chicken stock... In this recipe, I decreased the amount of flour by half, and I think that that is more than sufficient. I also used fat free Half & Half in my soup, as I’m trying to be conscious of fat and calories consumption, but I think that it worked quite well as a substitute here.
What really makes this soup, in my opinion, is the little drizzle of truffle oil at the end! I have never had truffles before (since they are QUITE expensive), and I recently acquired a small bottle of truffle oil which I have to believe smells similar to the real thing. It’s really very pungent, and a little goes a long way! I only drizzled a tiny amount over the top of the mushrooms that I used for garnish and eventually stirred into the soup, but I could definitely taste the subtle difference in flavor from before to after adding it. If you’re fortunate enough to find truffle oil, be sure that the product you’re buying is actually infused with truffle and not just truffle essence. If you don’t have or can’t find truffle oil, of course, don’t worry about it…

Printable Recipe

¼ lb. (1 stick) butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. baby Portobello mushrooms, quartered
6 oz. sliced shitake and mini bella mushroom mixture
8 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
½ c. flour
2 c. chicken stock, hot
2 c. beef stock, hot
2 c. Half and Half
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Truffle oil, for drizzling

In a small stock pot melt the butter and add the diced onion; allow to sauté. After about 5 minutes, add in the minced garlic and sauté just until fragrant; add the quartered mushrooms and stir frequently, the mushrooms will suck up all the butter at first. After a few minutes, add the remaining mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to cook for about 10 minutes. When the liquid has reappeared, remove some of the quartered button mushrooms, add in the flour, and mix well. Turn down the heat and allow the mixture to cook for about 10 minutes.
Add in the hot chicken and beef stock, ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition; add in the Half and Half. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and the dried parsley; allow the soup to simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved sautéed mushrooms, a sprinkling of fresh parsley, and a very small drizzle of truffle oil.