Recipe: Cream of Mushroom Soup

Recipes title

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serving Size: 4
Preparation Time: 0:30

Ingredients

4 tbs. butter

Mirepoix:

1 small onion—diced
1/2 cup celery—diced
1 leek white part—washed
1 cup mushroom stems—washed and chopped
3 tbs. flour
1-1/2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
salt and white pepper—to taste
1/2 cup cream light—optional
mushroom caps—sliced thin raw

Preparation

Melt butter in a heavy pot.
Peel and dice or chop the mirepoix veg and mushroom stems from a 10 oz pkg. Do the mushroom stems when all else is ready. Work quickly so the stems don't brown. Button mushrooms are best, if you want a very white soup. Save the caps for final garnish.
Cook slowly to sweat the vegetables. When they are soft, add flour and stir.
Add the liquid, bring to a boil while stirring, simmer 10 minutes.
purée. Season to taste.
Add the cream and mushroom caps, scrubbed and sliced as thin as you can to the finished soup at the last minute and simmer only until the slices are well heated.

Important Note: For Veloute Agnes Sorell, 2 oz of sliced chicken breast and two ounces of smoked beef tongue (or ham if you prefer) in julienne may be added with the mushrooms. I see no need (in these times) for a further thickening with a liaison of yolks, as Escoffier prescribes.

Notes: Slicing the caps of the mushrooms and cooking them in the finished soup at the last minute before serving is delicious.