Cream of Mushroom Soup

 Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 2 10-oz bags of frozen mixed mushrooms from Woodstock Farms 
• 6 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c. finely diced yellow onion
• 1/4 lb. good butter 
• 1 tsp. minced thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. minced tarragon
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 c. cream
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:

Thaw mushrooms, making sure to reserve any liquids. When completely thawed, squeeze remaining liquid from mushrooms & combine the liquids with the homemade chicken stock in a medium pot. Add two cloves of crushed garlic, sprig of thyme, and some freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid - you should have about 5 cups of stock.

Meanwhile, in another pot, heat the butter and the finely diced yellow onion. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes until the onion begins to brown.  While onion is cooking, dice thawed mushrooms.  When onions are just starting to brown, add mushrooms into the pot and cook for another 10 or so minutes until they begin to brown. Add minced herbs & 1/4 c. thickening agent of your choice (flour, cornstarch, arrowroot). Stir well and continue to cook for about 1 minute. Add stock, salt, and pepper then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until it thickens (flour takes longer than cornstarch but remember cornstarch starts to break down after about 10 minutes!!!). Add the cream, milk, and parsley. Adjust seasonings.  Heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Note: To make a cream of mushroom soup that can be used as a substitute in for the condensed canned stuff, just follow the same directions but simmer the stock until it has been reduced to about 3 cups.  Once you add the cream, just ladle it into jars and refrigerate it for later use in recipes. It has more mushrooms than that canned stuff but is waaaaaaaaaaay better tasting and far more nutritionally sound, especially if you are making it with dairy from grass fed cows, homemade chicken stock from free range chickens, and organic mushrooms. You can also omit the parsley if you want.