Wild Mushroom Soup with Sherry & Thyme

Light, earthy and creamy, this is the perfect soup to start Thanksgiving dinner. An ounce of dried porcini mushrooms add the right amount of woodsy flavour to this rich and satisfying Wild Mushroom Soup with Sherry & Thyme. Flavour reigns supreme in this delicious combination of fresh cremini, shiitake, plump portobello and dried mushrooms cooked with dry sherry, beef stock all puréed with rich cream. But instead of puréeing all of the mushroom mixture, half of it is puréed with the half-and-half cream and then combined it with the remainder of the mushroom mixture, producing a rich, creamy and ethereal broth with thick meaty mushrooms in every bite.



Wild Mushroom Soup with Sherry & Thyme
Serves 6

4 tbsp butter
3 leeks, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves only
1 lb cremini  mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 lb portobello mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 tsp spicy paprika
4 cups beef stock
1 cup heavy cream, such as half and half
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp dry sherry
1/2 cup minced parsley or chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


In a small saucepan combine the sherry, 1/2 cup of beef stock and the dried porcini. Bring to  boil, remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes.

Dice the leeks and onion. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and cook over low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, stir and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms, the porcini with the soaking liquid, and salt and pepper, and continue to cook over low heat, for 7 minutes. Sprinkle in the paprika, and stir. Add the remainder of the beef stock, lower the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. 

Purée half of the soup in batches, in a blender or food processor. Return the mixture to the pot and gently reheat, over low heat. Stir in the cream and re-season with salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with chopped parsley, chives and a garnish of cream.