Mushroom Soup

Chef Michael Ballon

Castle Street Café, www.castlestreetcafe.com, Great Barrington, MA

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup white button mushrooms
• ½ cup fresh shiitake mushrooms
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• Pinch of dry basil and thyme
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 quart chicken stock
• ½ cup dried mushrooms (morels, porcini, shiitake), reconstituted (soaked in hot water for 20 minutes)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Splash soy sauce
• Splash sherry
• Minced scallions, for garnish

Method:

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, brown the onions in vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the button and shiitake mushrooms and stir well. Add the garlic, herbs and then the flour, mixing thoroughly. Add the chicken stock and reconstituted mushrooms. Stir well.
Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, soy sauce, and sherry.
Garnish with minced scallions. Serves 4.