Winter is here with its short days and long cold nights. The wind carries promises of rain and snow. You miss the sunshine. The gloom and the cough you can’t seem to shake off  make you crave warm and comforting food. Something to warm you from the inside out and chase away the winter chill and blues. Soup is the answer.

If you enjoy mushrooms and like garlic this is the soup for you. Making this garlic mushroom soup will saturate your home with tantalizing smells of herbs, mushrooms and a hint of garlic. Taking a taste, you lose yourself in the layers of flavor. Silky smooth broth, with a hint of garlic turned sweet by the stewing process,brightened by the herbs. You bite into a slice of mushroom that has been sautéed in herbs and butter and all the worries of the day melt away.

I knew I would love this soup when MJ posted the recipe a while back and I just HAD TO try it. I only slightly modified the recipe. Adding half the mushrooms to cook with the apples and garlic because I wanted the soup to be infused with more mushroom flavor. I then sautéed the rest the rest of the mushrooms and added them at the end for texture. I also added paprika and herbs de Provence to the mushroom as they were cooking because I love the mushroom/paprika/herb combo.

I served it with croutons made from this beautiful pumpkin bread that Charles posted a while back  served it as a main meal. It would work equally well as an appetizer or a side dish.

Mushroom Garlic Soup Recipe

Slightly modified from MJ’s kitchen

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 large heads of garlic, cloves peeled and chopped

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1 qt. homemade chicken broth or stock or canned chicken broth (or vegetable broth) I did not have any broth so I used water

1 herb bundle of 5 parsley stems, 4 sprigs fresh thyme (tie together with string)

¼ tsp. salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. mustard powder

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced vertically (if slices are too big, cut in half vertically) divided

1 Tablespoon butter, divided in half

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon herbs de provence

½ cup cream or half and half (I used 1 cup of  milk)

To garnish

Chopped parsley

croutons

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over low to medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and garlic and cook stirring occasionally until the onion softens
3. Add the apple and half the mushrooms and continue to cook, covered, for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the stock or water and the herbs then bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer about 15 minutes.
6. Remove the herbs. Puree the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or regular blender.
7. Add the mustard powder and salt to taste.  Return the soup to a low heat and continue to simmer.
8. While the soup is simmering, melt the butter in a pan over medium low heat. Add the remaining half of the mushrooms making sure they are in one layer
9. Cook the mushroom slices until they are browned on both sides
10.  Add these mushrooms to the soup and stir.
11. Add the milk/cream and bring the soup back to a simmer, stirring. Remove from heat.
12. Ladle into soup bowls and top with chopped parsley/ croutons

 Notes

MJ’s recipes calls for 2 heads of garlic, I cut the garlic in half but I have to say that you do not really taste the garlic as such in the final soup. It turns into a much milder and sweeter version. If you have ever tried roasted garlic, this is similar to it.

As with most soups this one tastes better the next day, seriously consider doubling the amounts and saving some to enjoy the next day.

Coming soon

We continue our healthy breakfast series with spinach breakfast squares