marvelous things: many mushroom soup

did i mention that i had 20 stitches my mouth last week?
oh, i didn't? probably because i figured it was TMI.

long story short is that i had some minor oral surgery that left me
down and out AND on a liquid/soft foods diet for more than a week!

needless to say, it was perfect timing to find a new favorite soup recipe,
that could be soft, soothing, healthy and delicious.

this is one of gweneth's detox soup recipes from her second cookbook.
she blends it to create more a creamy mushroom soup, sans cream or butter.
the first time i made it, i followed the instructions and pureed everything in a blender.
as soon as i took my first bite, i wished i had left it as is.
don't get be wrong - it was still good, but i just wanted more of a chunky mushroom soup.
personal preference!

a few days later i made the exact same recipe and just skipped the blender.
voila! a delicious and super healthy mushroom soup to my liking.
perfect for an easy weeknight meal, or if you're holing up by the fireplace next winter.

recipe via it's all good

serves 6

ingredients

3 dried shiitake mushrooms
i used dried once and not dried once

1/2 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, thoroughly washed and finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

coarse sea salt

1 pound crimini mushrooms, stems removed and caps roughly chopped

1 large portobello mushroom, stem removed and cap roughly chopped

4 cups vegetable stock
i found that i wanted more like 6 cups veggie stock

fresh herbs for serving

fresh ground black pepper

directions

1. place the shiitakes in a small bowl with the boiling water and set aside for at least 10 minutes. drain the mushrooms, being sure to reserve their soaking liquid.

slice off and discard the stems and thinly slice the caps and set them aside.

2. meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.

add the leeks, onion, garlic, and cook thyme, along with 2 heavy pinches of salt,

cook, stirring off and on, until softened but not browned, 9 or 10 minutes.

add the cinimi and portobello mushrooms and the reserved shiitake mushrooms.

stir to combine with the leek mixture and cook until the

mushrooms begin to release their liquid, 5-6 minutes.

3. add the vegetable stock and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid

(avoid any grit that may be at the bottom) to the pot and turn up the heat.

once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to bring it all together.

4. here is where you have two options:

for chunky mushroom soup, serve as is.
for a smooth mushroom soup, carefully puree in a powerful blender.

serve immediately with a bit of parsley for color and a healthy grind of black pepper.