Four Mushroom Bisque

Ten Days of Soup! ~Katy ~

The soup course for Warren’s 49th Birthday had to be something new and different. Looking in my stash of recipes not yet tried, I found this Mushroom Bisque I’d been dying to taste. So many flavors, and such great texture. Plus, you can make it a couple of days ahead of time and let the flavors meld together.

When throwing a dinner party, it’s always best to find recipes you can start ahead of time so you’re not completely strung out when your guests arrive. You want to be a part of the party! This is another from Oprah Magazine, adapted from Susan Spungen’s Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook.

 

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms

2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms (cremini, button, shitake)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 shallots, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

¼ cup Marsala or sweet sherry

1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

1 cup canned chicken broth

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or tarragon leaves, chopped

1 cup milk or cream

2 tablespoons Madeira or sherry

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Place porcini mushrooms in a large glass measuring cup. Pour boiling water over mushrooms and set aside. Wash and trim fresh mushrooms; cut into quarters and set aside.

2. Heat oil and butter in a 4-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots, pinch salt and pepper, and rosemary. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Add celery and continue to ook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and generously season with salt and pepper, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms lose approximately half their volume.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove porcini mushrooms from water and add them to stockpot (save the water). Increase heat to medium high and add Marsala. Cook 1 minute.

4. Slowly pour porcini liquid into stockpot, leaving any sediment behind. Add potato and chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let soup cool slightly (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally.

5. Using a standard or immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. If using a standard blender, puree in small batches to prevent spillage. Transfer to a clean pot or storage container. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

6. When ready to serve, reheat soup and add thyme and milk; stir well. Use additional milk or chicken broth if soup is too thick. Simmer 5 minutes and adjust seasoning to taste. Turn off heat, add Madeira, stir well, and serve immediately.