Wild and Crazy Mushroom Bisque

This was so very, very good. We had this the other night when jwa’s cousin and her husband came over for dinner. They are vegetarians, which are fun guests to cook for, as I used to be a vegetarian too. It brings me back. Anyway, while perusing for a recipe I remembered how much I love porcini mushrooms and how good they were in the dinner jwa made me in February. So, I searched for a recipe using porcini mushrooms. I found this one at Food Network and it was amazingly mushroom-y and filling.

I went all out and made my own mushroom stock too. You can also buy mushroom stock, but if you have the time I recommend making it. I did mine the day before an then just stored it in the fridge. It worked perfectly and wasn’t too labor intensive at all.

Wild Mushroom Stock:
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced roughly
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 leek tops, sliced
4 to 6 thyme branches
2 bay leaves
6 branches parsley, roughly chopped
3 sage leaves or a pinch of dried sage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
9 cups water

Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 cup hot water and set aside. Heat the olive oil in the soup pot and add the onions to caramelize. When they have turned a deep brown add the remaining vegetables, herbs, garlic, sea salt and sauté an additional 3 minutes.

Add the dried porcini and their soaking liquid, plus 9 cups cold water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes – 1 hour uncovered.

Strain the stock through a fine mesh colander.

There, see how easy that was!

Wild Mushroom Bisque
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 leeks, whites parts only, washed and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 tsp sea salt
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 branches fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 pound mushrooms, sliced; a mixture of porcini, cremini, portobello, button
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 1 cup hot water
5 cups mushroom stock
1 12-0z package silken tofu

I used a tea kettle to heat some water and then poured it over the porcini mushrooms until I was ready for them.

Heat the olive oil in the soup pot, add onion and leeks and celery, allow to caramelize over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the salt, garlic and thyme and sauté 3 more minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat and reduce for 3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook them with the onion mixture over medium-low heat for about 10-12 minutes, stirring part way through cooking.

They should darken and shrink down a bit. Pour in the soaked porcini mushrooms, stock and add tofu. Taste and add more sea salt, if necessary. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove thyme branches. Let the soup cool slightly (about 15 minutes) and then puree in the blender to make a smooth, creamy, paler soup. Do this in a number of batches. Reheat in your pot under low heat if needed.

Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and fresh thyme leaves. Excellent.

Coming next: The grilled vegetable panini accompaniment.