Friday, November 11, 2011

Baby Bella, Shiitake Mushroom Soup...(non dairy)


move over pumpkin...there's a fungi in town...
(sorry, i get carried away.  i'll just stop there with the bad puns)

but really...isn't everybody talking about pumpkin or butternut squash soup for the holiday?...

how predictable...change things up a little.



this creamy unctuous soup is so delicious.  rich deep flavors but very light on the palette.
no cream and very little fat.


the key ingredients here are the roasted garlic and some homemade roasted chicken broth
and the key utensil is an immersion blender 

trust me, take the time to roast the garlic...
 eat a roasted chicken this week and make some good broth.  chicken broth from a roasted chicken carcass is like liquid gold.  i always have some on hand in the freezer.  
and... go out and buy yourself an immersion blender.
your soup will be tasty and your puree-ing world will be forever changed.



in a nut shell...roast garlic, saute mushrooms and aromatics, whiz it up with some broth and serve.



BABY BELLA SHIITAKE CREAMY, yet non-dairy, SOUP

3 oz. Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms
30 grams dried Shiitake mushrooms
1/2 medium onion
1/2 shallot 
3-4 cloves roasted garlic
approximately 4 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth...home made is best, but...
2 cans  (15 oz.) low sodium chicken broth will be fine (more or less depending on how thick you like your soup)
NOTE...i used 1 whole can and about 1 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth...
vegetable broth works very well with this for a pure vegetarian version
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

FIRST...before you do anything...roast your garlic.  i like to roast mine whole with the top sliced off and drizzled with olive oil inside.  wrap in tinfoil.  oven at 370 F and it should take about an hour.

meanwhile, rehydrate your dried mushrooms as the package instructs if using dried.  saute your veggies in about 2 Tsp olive oil (maybe less if possible).   do not salt your veggies while sauteing.  you can add your tarragon and thyme in when they are almost done.  when everything is done and mushrooms look yummy and golden transfer to a sauce pan (3-4 quart works for me).  reserve a few mushrooms for garnish.  squeeze the water from the rehydrated mushrooms and chop them up a little and add them with the roasted garlic cloves to the pot.  add chicken broth, a little less than you think you might need because you don't want your end product to be too thin.  bring to a boil then lower to a simmer.  when everything has been heated through take off the stove and get your immersion blender in there and blend away...blend it to the texture you like.  i like it creamy.  you might need to add more broth at this point (heat through if you add more).  when you have it just right check for seasoning...salt and pepper to your liking.  i like the base creamy, then i add a few whole reserved mushrooms or use as garnish.
reheat just before service.  this soup can be made ahead and keeps well for a few days.

NOTE..the fresh thyme is for presentation and photos only.  i found when eating the finished photographed bowl of soup i didn't care for the pieces of thyme interrupting the smooth creamy texture...you be the judge.




18 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is simply beautiful Jules and picture's too, sounds so smooth and delicious on a cold winter's night! I love your presentation...different and pretty~
Di

Jules and Ruby said...

hi Di...thank you soooo much. yes it IS delicious and it's cold out and i will be having some for dinner. thanks so much for checking in...jules

Anonymous said...

Your welcome and I will certainly try your recipe.

Have a great weekend Jules....Di

Nisrine said...

Fabulous mushroom soup. Pretty pics as well.

Katherine Martinelli said...

Wow, your photos are stunning and this soup looks absolutely delicious!! I am so glad you stopped by my blog so I could find yours :-)

Mack Shepperson said...

Your pictures are very yummy. How long have you been cooking this kinda stuff? I'm fond of eating mushrooms too.

Jules and Ruby said...

thanks Nisrine...and Katherine, i'm so glad i found your site as well. i have to try that Pumpkin Granola soon.
hi Mack...i've always been into yummy foods and goodies of all sorts, but recently in the last few years i've been into challenging myself to the "out of the ordinary" things. just this weekend i tackled the "ever-so-scary" beef tongue...trust me, i'll be posting about it soon. thanks so much for stopping in...jules

joehawkins said...

hi again... another yummy looking recipe. i am going to give this a go today as a starter for our thanksgiving feast today (we had your goat meat stew on THU!). i think your recipes will become a featured guests at our family dinners for a long time to come! :)

Jules and Ruby said...

Joehawkins....hope this turns out fabulous for your dinner party. don't forget to check your seasonings at the end. i tend to "under salt"

joehawkins said...

hi Jules-- it was GREAT!! i don't use tarragon very often, but i think that is gonna change! i kept a light hand on the salt per the recipe... flavour was lovely. :)

Jules and Ruby said...

joehawkins...sooooo happy you liked it. and , yes, Tarragon seems to be a forgotten herb. i love to sneak it into things. hope your having a delicious week.

Christina G said...

Lovely! what a great budget meal!

Ness said...

This post is under vegetarian - but it has chicken stock...

Jules and Ruby said...

Ness...thank you. you're so right. i will change the post to say that i have made this with veggie broth as well. thanks for stopping by

kayla said...

I don't have any Shittake mushrooms... Will it affect the taste much if I just use baby Bella's?

Jules and Ruby said...

hi Kayla...absolutely delicious with baby bella only. i've done it a few times. i posted one with baby bellas and middle eastern flavors that turned out really tasty. now that i have my Vitamix i use that and it is velvety smooth with no dairy at all. have a great week...jules

Unknown said...

Do you really only use 3oz of cremini mushrooms?

Jules and Ruby said...

hey sally...so sorry i'm SOOOO late to reply. i made this 3 years ago, but i believe it IS only 3 oz. i'm not totally sure. i think 3 oz is quite a few. because they're so light. sorry not much help. if it were "soup" weather i would make this again , but it's been so hot here.
thanks for stopping by though...wish i was more help.

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