As the afternoon rains of late summer fall in step with the emerging coolness of autumn, mushrooms erupt in the forested hills and high alpine valleys that surround our little town. I take my little boy by one hand and a basket in the other, and we walk to where the edge of town meets the little hills that will soon turn into mountains. During good years, when heavy winter snowfalls meet a wet summer, we find plenty of mushrooms, each with their own unique appearance, flavor, and texture. Hawk’s wing—a broad, toothed mushroom—tastes of pine, while the creamy-colored oyster mushroom tastes, as you might imagine, faintly of the sea. There’s the mild-flavored shaggy mane that grows not only on the forest floor but also in suburban lawns. My favorite are the creamy-colored, cinnamon-capped king boletes, or porcini mushrooms, and the golden chanterelles. Porcini mushrooms taste rich, earthy, and meaty, like a good mushroom should, while chanterelle mushrooms have a more delicate floral and citrusy flavor. Any mushroom variety works well in this soup, but the key is to use multiple varieties, whether you bought them or gathered them yourself. Each mushroom offers a distinctive flavor and aroma, and, when layered together, the soup develops a rounder and more complex flavor that’s enhanced by sherry and thyme.
SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, sliced paper thin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as porcini, shiitake, chanterelle, cremini, and portobello), thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons finely ground unrefined sea salt
- ½ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
- 2 cups Chicken Bone Broth
- 2 tablespoons sherry
- 2 cups heavy cream, preferably raw
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat.
- When it froths, turn down the heat to medium-low, stir in the shallot and thyme, and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Toss the mushrooms into the pot and sprinkle with the salt and white pepper.
- Cover the pot and sweat the mushrooms until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the broth and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Stir in the sherry and heavy cream and serve.
