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Rich and creamy soup chock full of assorted wild mushrooms (or not so wild as we can’t go foraging around town unless it is to the produce section of an upscale market).
Ingredients
18 oz. total of assorted mushrooms (combination of Royal Trumpet, Hen of the Woods, Crimini and Shiitake mushrooms – an equal amount of mushroom blend in a pinch)
4–6 tablespoons of sea salt butter
1.25 cups of coarse breadcrumbs – from a stale baguette
48 oz. (6–8 cups for more servings) of rich chicken stock, bone broth or mushroom chicken bone broth
2–3 green onions/scallions
Thyme leaves from a few sprigs of the fresh herb.
Fresh parsley – 1/4 cup chopped (as a flavor ingredient and to decorate each serving)
2 egg yolks
6 ounces of “crème fraîche“
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper – to taste
Fresh chervil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
Instructions
Clean all the mushrooms. I brush them off with a paper towel and try not to have to wash them. If they are particularly dirty with growing medium, rinse them quickly under running water or remove part of the stem. Scrape off any other specs with the blade of a knife.
Chop the mushrooms into diced pieces – not so small that they will turn to mush. Set aside.
Slice the scallions, chop the parsley and shallots if you decide to use some. Set aside.
Chop the stale baguette into large crumbs. My grandmére always had the butt end of stale baguettes stashed in a linen bag to make bread crumbs.
In a large bowl, mix the chopped mushrooms, scallions, parsley and fresh herbs until well combined.
Add butter to a large Dutch Oven. Melt the butter then add the mushroom mixture to the pan.
Sauté over medium low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon or a silicone slotted spoon. Season to taste. Do not allow the mushrooms to burn – just sweat them down and cook until tender.
Remove about 1/3 of the mixture to a small bowl. Set aside.
Add bread crumbs to mushroom mixture in the pan and stir to combine evenly. Sauté for about 5 minutes then add chicken stock.
Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
Remove approximately 1 coup of the soup liquid and place in a Pyrex® dish to cook off.
Whisk together the crème fresh and two eggs until completely blended.
Add some of the cooked soup liquid to the cream mixture. Stir to combine and slowly pour into the rest of the soup, stirring constantly. Reheat the soup but do not allow it to simmer or boil.
Adjust seasonings if needed.
Ladle soup into soup bowls. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
I’ve been asked many times… “What is the difference between crème fraîche and sour cream?” Pasteurization, thickeners and fat content.
- Sour cream is pasteurized, has added ingredients to thicken it and 20% fat content.
- Créme fraîche is unpasteurized, without added ingredients to thicken it and a 30% fat content. In other words – thicker, richer and noticeably less sour than regular sour cream.
The quick and easy way to make this wold mushroom bisque is to purchase several packs of Wegmans® mushroom blend. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
For an intense earthy and woodsy flavor, experiment with mushrooms other than Baby Bellas or white mushrooms. While these are perfect for other recipes, you want a strong mushrooms aroma and flavor.
Instead of green onions use finely chopped shallots.
My preference is for chicken broth which does not disguise the flavor of the mushrooms as much as beef flavor. BUT… if you can find it, use Organic Mushroom Broth or mushroom soup base. Bouillon cubes even come in mushroom flavor!
For the best flavor and tasty health benefits, buy Mushroom and Chicken Bone Broth!
Keywords: mushrooms, soup
