A rich and earthy mushroom soup combines five varieties of fresh mushrooms with hearty wild rice and tender potatoes. The mix of cremini, oyster, maitake, portobello, and shiitake creates a deeply savory broth with incredible texture. Light cream and butter add a luxurious finish, while fresh sage and rosemary bring bright herbal notes to every spoonful. It is a comforting bowl for chilly evenings, especially when paired with thick slices of crusty bread and sweet butter.
Course
Snack
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup minced shallot
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup roughly chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup roughly chopped oyster mushrooms
1 cup roughly chopped maitake or matsutake mushrooms
1 cup roughly chopped portobello mushrooms
1 cup roughly chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 cup wild rice
1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable bouillon paste or powder
8 cups chicken stock
1 pound Maine potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ cup snipped fresh chives, divided
2 cups light cream
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 ounces enoki mushrooms, for garnish
Instructions
1Melt the unsalted butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the minced shallots and a half teaspoon of sea salt, cooking for 3 minutes until softened.
2Toss in the chopped cremini, oyster, maitake, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms along with the wild rice and bouillon. Cook for 5 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock and add the potato chunks. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3Stir the minced fresh sage, rosemary, and garlic into the pot.
4Use a potato masher to gently press down on the solid ingredients, lightly crushing the potatoes directly in the broth.
5Stir the mixture thoroughly, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Place the pot back over low heat and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
6Season the soup with the remaining sea salt, black pepper, white pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the snipped chives. Pour in the light cream and stir to combine.
7Warm the soup gently until heated through. Portion into individual bowls and sprinkle with the chopped parsley, remaining chives, and loose enoki mushrooms.
8For an elegant presentation, wrap a long piece of chive around a small cluster of enoki mushrooms to form a bundle, and set one on top of each portion.