Golden Cream Of Mushroom Soup With Crispy Shallots & Creme Fraiche
By: Foodiewife (Debby)
Published: Saturday, December 5, 2009 - 11:25pm

Ingredients




8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 smalls shallots, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock (or you could use mushroom or vegetable stock)
kosher salt & pepper

2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (used a combo of each)
3 tablespoons Golden Sherry (optional, but makes this taste fantastic) or dry white wine
Optional:

creme fraiche (for garnish)

Preparation

1 To make crispy shallots, cook in a thin layer of olive oil until golden (not too high of a heat, or they can easily burn).  Set aside, on a paper towel. 2 For the soup: 3 In a Dutch Oven, heat a little bit of olive oil and butter-- just enough for a thin coating. Cook the mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes, until golden. Set aside. 4 Using the same pot, add a little more olive oil and saute the sliced shallots until tender. 5 Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. 6 Season with a little kosher salt, pepper and dried thyme. 7 Add the flour, stir and cook for about one minute. 8 Return the mushrooms to the cooked shallots, add tomato paste and about 1 cup of the chicken stock. Stir to combine. 9 All the remaining chicken stock and simmer for about 10 minutes. 10 Puree the soup in batches, carefully, in a blender. I prefer to use an immersion blender right into the pot, which is so much simpler! 11 Puree to your liking-- I leave small chunks of mushroom. 12 Add the heavy cream/half & half. 13 Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and the crispy shallots on top.

About


Golden Sherry is what gives this soup a grownup taste. You can leave it out, and the soup will be just fine. Cremini mushrooms are baby portobellos, and they have a nuttier taste compared to white button mushrooms. That is why I call this recipe "Golden Cream of Mushroom Soup". The creminis developed a beautiful color to this flavorful soup. This soup was ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
As a garnish, crispy shallots are served with a dollop of creme fraiche. Fantastic!
For a tutorial on how I made this, visit my food blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/golden-mushroom-soup-with-creme-fraiche.html