Every October, I gather my friends for my favorite fall tradition: Souptober. When the first breath of autumn finally reaches Texas, I set the date and ask my friends to send me their recipes.
The evening of Souptober, my friends arrive wearing oven mitts, arms laden with Roasted Tomato Soup, Green Chicken Chili, Lobster Bisque, and all manner of aromatic pots. Every countertop is covered with all manner of crockpots, Dutch ovens and stockpots. We sip wine and set to work sampling the soups, exclaiming over the delicious creations of each other. At the end of the evening, every guest goes home with leftovers for the week and a dozen new recipes to keep them warm through the cooler evenings.
Souptober is a time to savor soup and friendship. Here's one of my favorites from my friend Shannon to get you started...
Shannon's Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 16 oz white mushrooms
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch of thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside for later use. Thinly slice mushroom caps and set aside separately. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauce until tender and translucent, but do not brown. Add flour and stir for 3 minutes, until flour and onion are well combined. Turn off heat.
Add chicken stock, parsley, bay leaves, and mushroom stems. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute the mushroom slices. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter until bubbly. Add mushroom slices and season with salt and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
When the broth is done, place a colander over the pot containing the sautéed mushrooms. Pour the broth (containing the mushroom stems and onion) through the colander into the pot with the sautéed mushrooms. Discard the mushroom stems and onion. Simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes.
Combine egg yolks and heavy cream in a small bowl and beat until well mixed. Slowly add to broth. Add more salt and cream, if necessary. Heat over very low heat another 5 minutes, but do not bring to a simmer. Garnish with chopped parsley and croutons.