Cream of Mushroom Soup

By this point, you might be getting the idea that we really like mushrooms, considering the fact that they have been prominently featured in my last several posts. And you would be so right, because we actually loooove them, like we love them so much that we would probably polygamously marry them if that were legal in the state of Massachusetts (baby steps, people: we shall overcome!). So get ready, because here comes another fungus-based recipe, this time an attempt to recapture the taste of a favorite childhood comfort food.

It's a sad fact that no matter how well we take care of ourselves, sometimes we get sick, especially at this time of the rolling year. In our house, we've had a recent visitation of generalized fatigue, muscle aches, stuffiness, and an overall stupidheaded feeling that necessitated a day or two of laying low, drinking tea and (are we lucky or what?!) watching a Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel. Ask me about the episode in which Shakespeare is conjured by an aspiring writer via "black magic" to coauthor a cheezy TV pilot circa 1963, featuring Burt Reynolds as a poor man's Marlon Brando. No, seriously, ask me; I thought I was having febrile hallucinations. Worst of all, my lifelong hero came off as a bit of a hack....gods, clay feet, etc. Sigh. that said, if he wants to come back and help me write my thesis, I'm in!

But I digress. My partner, wracked with malaise, expressed the wistful desire that the cream of mushroom soup of our bygone youths could be replicated, an idea which became a very maggot in my fevered brain, especially after Shakespeare socked Burt Reynolds in the jaw. So once I'd had enough Rod Serling, I wended my way downstairs to the kitchen with the aim of gratifying his wholly understandable wish. Now, it should go without saying that I am incapable of producing an exact copy of that canned elixir; for one thing, I haven't the first idea how to replicate such ribbed, cylindrical splendor (nothing rude about that). BUT. I do know my way around a mushroom (see illustration above), and after nibbling a bit from here and drinking a bit from there, I came up with something pretty close, but better. I believe it's the unexpected addition of coconut milk (thanks to the PPK for the tip!) that makes this soup hit that "cream of" spot we all remember so well, but whatever works, right? Get into your jammies, then eat this in front of the television; with some toast and a few reruns of Scooby-Doo, I promise everything's going to be all better.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1/4 cup diced celery
~ 1 cup diced onion
~ 1 lb. thinly slice mushroom (8-10 cups after slicing, be generous!)
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, thyme
~ 1/2 tsp. each: sage, rosemary
~ 1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley
~ Fresh black pepper
~ 1/2 cup dry red wine
~ 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
~ 1 cup vegetable broth
~ 1 15 oz. can "lite" coconut milk

Also:
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 tbsp. flour

Directions:
~ Combine the vegetable broth, soy and coconut milks and set aside
~ In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and saute the celery and onions 5 minutes.
~ Add the mushrooms and seasonings, then cook another 15 minutes or so.
~ Add the wine, stir thoroughly, and cover. Cook another 10 minutes over low heat.
~ In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over low heat, adding the flour gradually to make a roux, stirring constantly and adding about 1 cup of the broth/milk mixture until it begins to thicken. Set aside.
~ Pour the remaining broth/milk mixture into the sauteed vegetables and simmer 15 minutes over low heat.
~ Add the thickened roux to the soup, and stir thoroughly to combine.
~ Adjust seasonings and puree with an immersion blender (or transfer in batches to food processor or blender) until smooth.
~ Serve with generously "buttered" (we recommend Earth Balance) toast for the perfect lunch or dinner when it's cold outside and you're feeling poorly.