Ellie Krieger
THE WASHINGTON POST – This soup may pique your interest based on its profile pic alone, but it is so much more intriguing once you get to know it better.
On the surface, it is a comfortingly familiar mushroom soup – creamy, savoury and easy to enjoy. But it tastes exponentially deeper because the mushrooms and shallot are first roasted until they are concentrated and beautifully browned.
It’s an extra step that is well worth the time, and can be done ahead. Adding further flavour dimension, herbal element of fresh thyme and a bit of garlic. The soup can be made with beef broth for a richer umami essence, or with vegetable broth to keep it vegan.
Along with all that flavour, this soup also has considerable nutritional bragging rights. Besides the wealth of B vitamins, potassium and health-protective compounds in the mushrooms, the soup gets its creaminess not from cream, but from being pureed with a can of cannellini beans, which – in addition to essential minerals, fibre and more – deliver enough protein to make it a meal in a bowl.
CREAMY ROASTED MUSHROOM SOUP
Ingredients
– One-and-a-half pounds mixed mushrooms, such as oyster, baby bella, or shiitake, sliced
– Three large shallots, cut into three-quarter-inch wide wedges
– Five tablespoons olive oil, divided
– Three-quarter teaspoon fine salt
– Two cloves garlic, minced
– Two teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
– Four cups no-salt-added or low-sodium beef or vegetable broth, plus more broth or water as needed
– One can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
– Half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms and shallots with three tablespoons of the oil and half teaspoon of the salt.
Spread the mushrooms across two large, rimmed baking sheets and roast for 10 minutes.
Stir, switch the top to bottom and vice versa, rotating each baking sheet front to back, and continue roasting an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms release their water and brown, and the shallots soften. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until aromatic, 30 seconds. Reserve quarter cup of the mushrooms for garnish.
Add the remaining mushrooms and the shallots to the pot, along with the broth, beans, pepper and the remaining quarter teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the broth and cook until the flavours meld, three minutes more.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Stir in additional broth or water if needed to thin to get your desired consistency. Rewarm the soup if needed, taste, and season with additional salt, if desired.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the reserved mushrooms, a pinch of black pepper, if you like, and parsley, and serve.