Creamy Mushroom Soup

Favorite Trader Joe’s Concoction: Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ever have one of those nights where you come home from the grocery store with SOOO many potential dinner options and you can’t think of what you REALLY want to make/eat?  And then all of a sudden you make something that you had no intention of making when you bought your groceries?  That’s what happened Tuesday night.

I bought mushrooms on Tuesday.  I LOVE mushrooms.  Husband-not so much.  But he’s been eating mushrooms in stuff lately….so I figured I should go full force and make some mushroom soup.  Baptism by fire anyone?

Over the summer I read Ruth Reichl’s Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table (fabulous book btw).  I whipped out her recipe for mushroom soup from the book because it sounded so damn good….This makes about 4 bowls worth.  Maybe less… I lost count because I was in a mushroom soup coma.

Here are the ’shrooms I used along with the whipping cream (don’t be a hater!) and Beef Broth Concentrate from Trader Joe’s (totally easy/excellent!)

Here’s your ingredients:

• 10 oz. sliced mushrooms (I used crimini for this soup)
• 1/2 stick butter (you can cut that in half if you are feeling chubby)
• 1 small onion diced
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup of beef broth (I used 1 packet of the TJ’s condensed beef broth mixed with 1 cup water)
• 2 cups half & half  (I used 1 3/4 cup whole milk mixed with 1/4 cup whipping cream)
• Salt & Pepper to taste (I added a lot)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Trader Joe’s Black Truffle Oil (when in Rome-right?)

Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. When foam subsides, add onion and sauté until golden. Add mushrooms and sauté those babies until brown.

Here’s me sautéing some mushrooms.  They’re not brown enough yet:

Stir in flour to coat the mushrooms. Then slowly stir in broth.  Heat half and half/milk on the stove or in the microwave and slowly add to pot. Add the nutmeg & bay leaf.  Stir thoroughly to ensure that everything is incorporated. Simmer on low for ten minutes (do not boil). Add salt & pepper to taste.

I was thinking a little red wine or brandy would be good mixed in.  I’ll have to try that next time!

Pour into your bowl & top the soup with little splashes of the Black Truffle Oil and more Salt & Pepper.

Put a spoon in and moan.  You will.  I promise.

The only thing that I didn’t like about this soup was that there were no leftovers!