GLC Soup Series ~ Soup 4: Mushroom Bisque

I realize there may be some dissent on this recipe, because often mushrooms are a "love or hate" food. However, with the intensely cold weather recently, I'd been thinking about a mushroom bisque I had a long while ago, and really craving it. So that's why it's soup number four, and the second to last of the series.

Likely to be the most "complicated" of all the soups I make for the series, so far this one was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, I still liked it, but it was also the one that seemed to need something--fortunately for me, and you if you want to make it, I know what it is.

Having never made mushroom bisque from scratch, I consulted numerous recipes. Many I found were heavy on the use of dairy or used a flour roux, and though I'm sure they would be tasty or work well--neither of those would be good to my digestive system, so I kept searching. Finally, I found one I believed would be the best option and, with a handful of my own tweaks, be really tasty.

The base recipe I used was from the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen. What appealed to me about the recipe is the use of potatoes to create a creamy, thicker texture--instead of heavy cream, for example (though it does call for a cup of low fat milk to be used at the end). It also uses thyme as the (only) herb/spice, which I find to be the most complementary of herbs to mushrooms. However,  the recipe only called for 1/4 tsp--and I increased it to 1/2, but in the revised recipe below I chose to add more. Also, Katzen didn't specify what kind of mushrooms, so I used a mixture of fresh crimini, fresh white button, and some frozen porcini mushrooms.

Original Ingredient list (adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook):

2lb of mushrooms (I used 1lb crimini, 3/4 lb button, 1/4 lb frozen porcini)
2 medium russet potatoes
1 cup of mushroom broth (for cooking potatoes)
1/2 cup of water (for cooking potatoes)
1 1/2 Tbs butter
3-4 chopped onions (about 2 cups)
1 stalk of celery diced
1-2 tsp salt
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
3 Tbsp of wine (I split this between a dry white and a dry red)
2 tsp tamari (or other soy sauce)
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of half and half
chopped chives for garnish

The result of the original recipe was a filling, earthy-flavored soup, which was quite nice. However, I had a couple of friends over for dinner where I served it, and we all agreed it was good, but it needed a little something else. One friend suggested some fresh grated parmesan over the top, which might have given it some more complexity (or saltiness).  What I really think is that it just needed more garlic and thyme and a good 1/2 cup of wine or sherry (which is what MC called for), and nix the water all together and only use mushroom broth (or stock). Also MC called for water to cook the potatoes in--and I imagine if I had it would have really been lacking in flavor. So, this is how I'll make it from now on...

Revised Ingredient list:
2lb of mushrooms chopped (mixture, but porcini should definitely be included)
2 medium russet potatoes
2 cups of mushroom broth (for cooking the potatoes), plus 1 extra cup if needed
1 1/2 Tbs butter
3-4 chopped onions (about 2 cups)
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tsp salt
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 cup of dry sherry 
2 tsp tamari (or other soy sauce)
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of half and half
chopped chives for garnish

Start by peeling the potatoes and chopping them into one inch squares, then boil the potatoes in the mushroom broth.

While the potatoes are cooking, you can clean and chop your mushrooms.

Melt the butter on medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot (where you'll be making the soup). Once melted and hot add the onions and celery and saute until they start to become translucent, then add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms soften, add the salt, thyme, and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes then add the sherry and tamari.

 

Now it's time to puree the mushrooms and the potatoes. I used my immersion (hand) blender, which readers know I love, and it worked well for the mushrooms. They were nicely diced without being too mushy (though I admit they look it).

 

 Do NOT drain the potatoes--using the hand blender puree the potatoes right in the broth. 

Then add the pureed potatoes and half and half into the mushrooms, and mix well (with a spoon). If the soup is too thick, add the additional cup of mushroom broth. 

Serve with chopped chives, a shave or sprinkle of parmesan, and/or scallions. 

As I mentioned earlier, this is the second to last of my soup series recipes. I would love a vote on the last soup to make. Right now I'm considering a lentil soup, a black-eyed pea with bacon soup, or an old fashioned chicken soup. However, if there's another soup you'd love for me to try (because you're looking for a good recipe) let me know. Please vote on your soup of choice in the comments

In the meantime, Buon Appetito!

Meatless (and Mexican) Mondays

I am a meat eater, but I mostly eat vegetarian--mainly because it's cheaper and tends to be easier to do so as a cook (i.e., it's a lot easier to mess up a piece of meat than a pot of pasta). Nowadays though, I try to make it a point to be meat free on Mondays--mainly for health reasons, but also for budget purposes. So I've been experimenting with more exciting vegetarian meals, and though I'm not a fan of green bell peppers (and they don't like me, either), I've always found that when a poblano is cooked, the flavor is mild and tasty. So last week I picked up some poblanos, which I decided to grill and stuff with beans, rice and corn.

Grilled and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients
4 Poblano peppers
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup of black beans (I used refried)
1/4 cup of sweet corn kernels (canned or frozen)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
a few grape tomatoes sliced (for garnish)
Oil for grill pan

Serves 4

I cut each of the poblano peppers in half (lengthwise), removed the seeds and washed them. Then I popped them onto a lightly oil grill pan. I left them on the pan (on a medium flame) until they had some nice grill marks and were softened.

In the meantime I made the "stuffing" by combining the rice, corn, beans and all the seasonings (chopped cilantro through garlic powder) so that everything seemed well mixed.

Once the peppers were ready, I let them cool for a few minutes and then stuffed each with about a half cup of the filling and placed them in a roasting pan. Then I sprinkled the cheese on top of each and garnished with slices of grape tomatoes.

I popped the peppers in the oven for approximately 35 minutes on 350° just so the peppers would be nicely warmed through and until the cheese was melted well (see top photo).

I decided to use a jarred mole sauce to top the peppers, but the sauce itself, which isn't bad, seemed like it needed something extra, so I doctored it up with some  raisins and smoked paprika. Any tasty Mexican sauce (salsa verde, enchilada sauce, etc.) would probably go well with these, but I did enjoy the rich flavor of the mole.

I served the peppers with chopped romaine lettuce and pea shoots and the mole sauce, and it was a lovely meal. I definitely think I'll add this into my rotation. I've even considered adding chopped spinach to the stuffing, just for a little more greens.