Hearty Mushroom Bisque

For the garlic basil oil:
Heat a small sauce pan with water to boil and prepare an ice water bath in a bowl. When the water is simmering, place the basil leaves and stems in the water for about 10 seconds, then transfer the basil to the ice water bath. Once cooled, strain the basil and gently squeeze away any excess water.

Chop basil coarsely, and process in a blender with olive oil, a hint of salt, and garlic until well blended. Strain through a coffee filter to remove the solids, and refrigerate.

For the mushroom bisque:
Melt butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Brown sliced mushrooms until all water has been released and mushrooms start to caramelize. Reserve several cooked mushrooms for garnish, if you want.

Add onions and thyme, cooking until onions are translucent and aromatic. Stir in flour and coat ingredients in a thin paste. Stir and cook for a minute or two to remove the taste of raw flour.

Add garlic and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.

Process the mushroom mixture in a blender until completely smooth, in two batches or more, depending on the size of your blender. Return the processed mixture to the soup pot. Stir in heavy cream and heat to serving temperature. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon into bowls and garnish with reserved cooked mushrooms, some chopped chives, and some generous drizzles on the garlic basil oil.

Note: The garlic basil oil can be made well in advance and stored for about 1 week in the refrigerator.