Autumn in Italy: Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe

We eat soup year round, but there is something about soup in the fall and winter that is particularly appealing. And if you pair that with autumnal produce – in this case mushrooms – it is a match made in heaven! Our favorite fall soups feature what you would expect from the fall harvest. Mushrooms of course, but also plenty of squash, root vegetables, and even apples! This soup is creamy and earthy, with plenty of umami flavor. In this version it’s a pureed soup, but you could easily skip that step and have a chunky mushroom soup. To add texture, serve it with some crunchy croutons! Mushrooms are one of our favorite parts about traveling in the fall. If you head to Tuscany on one of our cooking vacations, you can find a plethora of fresh mushrooms at the market this time of year. We even offer a special mushroom itinerary in the fall at our Living the Real Tuscan Dream culinary vacation.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Serves 6 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Cook method: Simmer Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs fresh brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups bone broth (or store bought stock)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions: 1. Melt the butter in a heavy pot and cook the onions over medium-high heat until soften (3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. 2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and a couple pinches of salt, then cook for about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until the alcohol has cooked off. 3. Add the stock, then bring to a simmer and reduce to low. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Pull out the thyme stems from the pot and set aside some of the mushrooms to use as a garnish. Then puree the soup in batches. (When blending hot liquids remember to leave an air vent in the top of the blender.) 5. Return the soup to the pan and season with salt and pepper. 6. Make a slurry by mixing the 2 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp cold water. Add to the soup, whisking, and simmer until it starts to thicken. 7. Just before serving, add the cream and bring the soup back up to temperature, without letting it come to a boil. 8. Serve garnished with fresh thyme or parsley, crunchy croutons, and a few of the reserved mushrooms. Enjoy! Remember, if you want to enjoy mushrooms on our cooking vacations, fall is a great time to go! You can even go mushroom foraging with our chefs, just like our culinary traveler pictured! See more of our soup recipes for fall:

• Winter Minestrone
• Ribollita
• Chestnuts and Mushroom Cream
• Zuppa di Farro e Zucca (Barley and Squash Soup)
• Creamy Potato, Leek, and Spinach Soup

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