A rich, creamy mushroom soup, without added calories
When it’s chilly outside, all I want to eat is a steaming bowl of vegetable soup.
Through the years I have discovered the magical, calming quality of velvety soup purees. I make these vegetable purees year-round and serve them hot or chilled. The key is to know the basic principles: purees require liquid (usually stock), vegetables and a thickening agent. I am partial to using potatoes or a dense vegetable like winter squash instead of flour, because the soup develops a thick texture without a floury taste. You can control the thickness by adjusting the stock.
I love mushroom soup.
In the following recipe, I’ve added a combination of intensely concentrated dried mushrooms along with the fresh creminis to increase the rich mushroom essence without additional calories. The soy sauce enhances the mushroom flavor. The addition of tawny port adds a slightly sweet finish. If you don’t have port, sherry is a good substitute. The optional cream is delicious but not necessary, if you prefer a lighter soup.
The other key factor to a great pureed soup is what you use to puree it. There are a few options: the blender, the hand immersion blender, the food processor or the hand food mill. My two standbys are the blender or the immersion blender.
If you like a very frothy, almost creamlike texture you will have more luck using a blender. When I am less concerned about frothy and feeling pressed for time, I go for the immersion hand blender.
You can change the garnish on top and add crispy crumbled bacon or pancetta or crispy canned onions. The possibilities are endless. Try this for lunch with a green salad.