...and another one: Hearty Mushroom Soup!

I'd have taken a picture, but we pretty much decimated it before I could document. (I have to get better about grabbing a bowl for the camera.)

Maybe when we pull out the last bit tomorrow for dinner I can get a shot. Besides, I had the clear feeling that it will be so much yummier after it blends overnight.

There are a LOT of mushrooms in this! It is a good, solid meal in itself, although I have to say, a few spoonfuls of beef stew are very nice mixed in or on the side. 

As for the type...go for it. I managed to find some really nice mushrooms at the market. We're on a budget, so I used half crimini and half button with one big chantarelle added in for flavor, but this would also be nice with shitake, trumpet, morel...whatever strikes your fancy.

Lastly, I used a lot of fat in this. You could, conceivably use less, especially if you have good drippings in there. 

Hearty Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup of chicken drippings if you have them
3 cups whole mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 cups whole mushrooms, sliced
2-3 cups good chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt (or less - to taste)
pepper to taste

Sauté the onions in the butter and olive oil for about 10-12 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook gently until aromatic. Add the thyme, vinegar and drippings. When the thyme and vinegar are fragrant, add the chopped and sliced mushrooms, blend well, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the liquids in the mushrooms are visible and simmering and the mushrooms are cooked through. Add the stock, bring to a boil and cook away the liquid until the soup is rich and thick (not so thick that it's gloppy, but just enough so that it's a good mouthful). Add the salt and pepper, check the seasoning, then simmer a bit more to blend them.

Serve with a dollop of homemade (preferably raw) sour cream.

Although we didn't try this, a tasty dairy-free alternative could be a squirt of lemon instead of the cream.