I was agonizing over what to make my mom for an early birthday dinner celebration. She is the most gracious guest and always says she likes everything she is served- but I wanted to make sure that she was truly pleased. Finally, I just asked her what she would like! (That was simple enough.) “Soup and salad. Perfect in the colder weather. Mushroom soup would be wonderful,” she said. I was happy to find this fabulous recipe from the Balthazar. We ate it with a sourdough baguette and green salad- of course! A Birthday pear and apple galette was our celebratory dessert. Perfect. 🙂
This recipe was adapted from The Balthazar Cookbook via Smitten Kitchen. I decreased the amount of sage, olive oil, and cream, increased the garlic, and modified the amount of each type of mushroom. Earthy and special. Happy Birthday, Mom!! ❤
- 1 ounce dried mushrooms (porcini, morels, or shiitakes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 large sprigs of sage
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 20 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 12 oz shiitake mushrooms stemmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 6 cups organic chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Soak the dry mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water for 20 to 30 minutes, until plump.
- Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter to remove grit and reserve, along with the reconstituted mushrooms, until needed.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium flame. Bundle the rosemary and sage together and tie with kitchen twine. When the oil is hot, add the herb bundle and sizzle for a few minutes on both sides to infuse the oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent but not brown.
- Turn the flame to medium high to high and add the white mushrooms and shiitakes.
- Cook for 10 minutes, during which the mushrooms will give off their liquid (which should evaporate quickly due to the high heat) and deflate significantly. Stir occasionally.
- Add the chicken stock and the dried mushrooms along with the soaking water.
- Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the herbs, then add the cream and butter.
- Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. (I used an immersion blender.) Return to the pot and keep at a very low simmer until ready to serve.
One Year Ago:
Two Years Ago:
Nothing like a steamy bowl of mushroom soup to drive away the winter woes. I’m sure your Mom really appreciated your efforts. I love all the ingredients, and I’m sure the sourdough baguette dipped in the soup was a real treat.
We don’t have a lot of places to buy good bread around here- but we can get a wonderful sourdough baguette! Thanks, Loretta. 🙂
Your mom is a lucky lady Josette! i love mushroom soup. When I was recovering from surgery a friend made me some and I still think of it 10’yrs later! We live near the mushroom capital of the world and this soup is famous at nearby Longwood gardens. I always order it! http://themushroomcap.blogspot.com/2012/01/longwood-gardens-mushroom-soup-recipe.html
Thanks, Johanne. 🙂 The Longwood Gardens recipe isn’t on the link… am I doing something wrong?
Happy Birthday to your Mom and how lucky she is. The recipe from Balthazar is the best mushroom soup I have had. Really beautifully done.
Thank you so much, Suzanne. It has been way too long since I’ve been to the Balthazar!! I need to make a trip! 🙂
Delicious! I would love a nice, hot bowl of mushroom soup! 😊
Thank you! It is really perfect this time of year. 🙂
I love a good earthy mushroom soup. Might be giving this recipe a try. Hope you share with us tonight 7:00est at #Throwback Thursday link party.
I haven’t been link-partying lately! Thanks for the invite- I’ll have to check it out. 🙂
Your mom is lucky! Sounds delicious! I love mushrooms. Sounds like a lovely meal.
The dried porcini mushrooms add such an amazing depth of flavor to this soup. It is perfect for a mushroom lover!! Thanks, Jenny. 🙂
Oh yummy! I have been thinking of making a mushroom soup. I absolutely love mushrooms and it seems like the perfect time of year! Pinning to try!
It is the perfect time of year for mushroom soup- hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
This looks wonderful! I feel that mushroom soup is highly under rated. Yumm
You are right- SO under rated! I haven’t made many mushroom soups myself. The flavor is so rich and earthy- absolutely delicious. Hope you give it a try!
I plan on it!
Happy B’day to your mom and what a comforting soup….perfect for the fall…. 🙂
Thank you so much, Chitra. 🙂 It really was super creamy with a minimal amount of cream.
What a fantastic birthday present for your Mom! The soup looks velvety delicious. 🙂
Thank you so much! Velvety would have been a perfect adjective to use in my description! Why didn’t I think of that!?!? 😉
HAppy Birthday to your Mom! Ummm, where’s the galette? 🙂 This soup sounds so good – dried and fresh mushrooms!
I just saw this comment! So funny. (sorry for the delayed response!) Happy that I finally got around to posting the birthday galette- I’ve been really behind these days.
I hope you saw we featured your Galette on Throwback Thursdays! 🙂 You’ll have to tell your Mum!
Ooops, I see you did see – 🙂
It sounds like a wonderful birthday celebration!
Thank you! My mom was pleased. Yay! 🙂
Oh yummy! I have been thinking of making a mushroom soup. I absolutely love mushrooms and it seems like the perfect time of year! Pinning to try!
Please let me know what you think! It was so full-flavored and delicious- I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I would like to make this for Thanksgiving. Can I make it Tuesday or Wednesday? Maybe add the cream at the last minute?
Thanks,
Ann
I think that soups often taste even better made in advance. I don’t think it would be necessary to wait to add the cream either. Happy Thanksgiving & Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you Josette! Happy Thanksgiving.