Drunken Mushroom Soup

Lizzie-Babette's Note:

Mushrooms and vermouth - who knew they'd taste so good together? Very good, broth-based soup where the mushroom flavor really shines, since there's no cream or milk. It's also vegetarian but could be made vegan (substitute olive oil for butter and vegetable broth for chicken broth). We usually have this all year round, but like it especially to start a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Especially nice since you can make it in advance! Adapted from "Colorado Cache".

• Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups finely-minced yellow onions
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms (half sliced, half finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (about 1 can is perfect)
• 1 cup dry vermouth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large saucepan, and cook onions, sugar, and thyme slowly until golden, about 30- 45 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in flour and stir until smooth.
4. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add water and stir until it's smooth and well blended.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat until the soup comes to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10- 15 minutes.
8. NOTE: you can prepare this in advance, refrigerate it and reheat it on low heat.

Reviews

[Susan Dillard]

This soup is very good and easy to fix. All of the ingredients are ones usually on hand, so all you need to get are the mushrooms. I added a bit more thyme and a splash of fresh lemon juice at the end, other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was very good, will be fixing this one again.

[Mille®]

Our Christmas dinner this year was comprised entirely of dished that I had never prepared, nor even eaten in a restaurant, before, and I chose this soup to try because it met those qualifications. Having never made it before, I prepared it in strict accordance with the ingredient list and preparation (that would be “fixing” to you Americans who seem to have a passion for using broken ingredients) instructions. Although I can’t personally stand TV chef Email Lagross, I have to say that the vermouth “kicked it up numerous notches”. You all know Mr. Lagross – “I don’t know where you buy YOUR salt, but where I get mine, it don’t come salted (deafening laughter and thunderous applause from an audience that just fell off another planet and hasn’t heard that joke on any of the 16,563 occasions that he has used it.) The other marvelous ingredient that gave a subtle but distinct and, as one dinner guest remarked, “festive” flavour was the thyme. That same guest took my printed recipe home with her. The recipe does not state what pepper variety one should use and so I used freshly ground white pepper, simply because it is my favourite. This was a splendid soup and the entire pot was consumed by a couple of gluttons who went back for seconds.

[Elaine Resko]

This was the most superb soup I ever made, my family loved it and almost didn't believe that I got it over the internet. I made a double recipe for Christmas eve and after the soup was done I added some carrot slices and a small amount of barley that I cooked separately. Thank you so much for sharing this gourmet soup which was so simple to make, this is a true "winner".