Mushroom Bisque

Clean mushrooms, trim stems, then quarter mushrooms.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir around until butter melts.

Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the frying pan and stir to coat. Sprinkle with seasoning salt, to taste.

The mushrooms will give up a lot of water in the initial cooking process. After the water has reduced, lower the heat to low and cook the mushrooms, onions and garlic until they begin to take on a caramelized appearance. Stir frequently at this stage.

When the caramelizing process begins, add two cups of the chicken broth/stock and the thyme to the pan with the mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and allow the liquid to reduce by half.

Take pan off the heat and allow everything to cool somewhat.

Transfer the mushroom and broth mixture from the pan into a blender. Pulse and blend a few times to get things mixed, then turn the blender on high and process until fairly smooth. Add a cup of cream to the ingredients in the blender and blitz for a few seconds until well blended.

Pour contents from the blender into a sauce pot. Stir in the remaining 1 cup cream, the remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt.

Cook and stir over medium heat until soup is hot, but not boiling. Test for flavor, adjust seasoning as needed.

Cook’s Notes: If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little more chicken broth. If you like mushroom bits, reserve some of the mushroom pieces prior to processing the soup in the blender. Add the pieces back to the soup in the last step.