Recipe: Shiitake and Friends Creamy Mushroom Soup

I love Cream of Mushroom Soup, especially those greyish kinds with bits of mushroom pieces in. The yellow-white/pale ones remind me of Campbell, lots of cream but very little mushrooms. This is my very own recipe for a low salt Cream of Mushroom Soup. I use lots of Shiitake mushrooms because they are very fragrant, and together with other mixed mushrooms, I call it "Shiitake and Friends"! I'm very proud of this because it was successful on the first attempt! (:



Ingredients:
1 packet (200g) Shiitake Mushrooms
1 packet (250g) Mixed Mushrooms
1 clove Garlic, crushed
2 small Shallots, minced
1/2 or 1 Bayleaf
3 tbsp Full cream
1/2 cube Vegetable Stock
70g Butter
700ml to 800ml Water
Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper
A dash of Parsley (Optional)



1. Heat a pot on medium fire. Meanwhile, crush garlic, mince shallots and dice all the mushrooms into small pieces.

2. Melt the butter in the pot.

3. When all the butter has melted, add in the shallots and garlic.

4. Fry for about 3 minutes.


5. Now, add in the mushrooms. Keep stirring so that the mushrooms on top also get fried by the butter at the bottom. Make sure the mushrooms are well mixed, and fry for about 6 to 7 minutes. The mushrooms should be glazed and not dry and spongy.

6. Add the hot water and vegetable stock. Stir and boil for 5 minutes or until the stock cube has melted completely.

7. Add full cream and stir well until the soup becomes thick.


8. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir regularly. If you see a layer of oil forming on top of the soup, scoop it out and discard.

9. Blend the soup in a blender. If you like a chunky soup with bits of mushroom, separate the soup into two parts. Blend the first part until it becomes thick but not chunky. Then blend the second part to desired fineness. Do not blend too much if you like to chew on bits of mushroom in your soup.

10. Serve warm with a dash of parsley and/or freshly ground black pepper. Also goes well with toast, garlic bread or pasta. Bon Appetit! (:

Note: This is the low-salt version of the soup. You should add salt to taste just before serving or let guests help themselves with the salt-shaker.

You can make variations of the soup with different mushrooms. Porcini, Portobello, Button and Swiss Brown are all great mushrooms for this recipe. For a smoother, less chunky soup, you can either blend it more finely, add more cream or add less mushrooms.

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