• 3 large Portobello mushrooms chopped into small pieces
  • 4 tablespoons shallots finely chopped
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
  • Fresh ground black pepper and Kosher salt to taste.

Few dishes can deliver the rich, almost decadent flavor profile of cream of mushroom soup.  A deep earthiness bathed in cream is the cornerstone of this preparation that is so simple to make that you will never again consider obtaining it from a can.  This soup is all about the taste of mushroom, cream and butter.  Do yourself a favor and use real butter.

I like to use Portobello mushrooms because they have an earthy undertone that accentuates the cream.  That said, cream of mushroom soup is a wonderful way to experiment with and explore the taste of all the different types of mushrooms now available in mega-marts and specialty food stores.

I use shallots in this recipe specifically for their ability to blend with other flavors and not take on their own note.  Shallots look like small brown onions but their flavor is more refined and complex.  Often thought of as another variety of onion, shallots are actually a species of their own.  Like garlic, shallots are composed of multiple cloves—usually 2—under a thin, papery skin, and their flesh usually has a pale-purple color.

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan.
  2. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute’ over a medium-high fire until the shallots are translucent.
  3. Stir in the flour making sure there are no lumps.
  4. Add chicken stock, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Reduce heat and bring to slow simmer for 30 minutes.

I like to serve this soup with thin-cut rounds of a good French baguette, well buttered and baked to the crispness of a crouton.