Warm Up With: Mushroom Marsala Soup

- January 29, 2014

With "soup weather" sweeping the country, I figured it was the perfect time to share my favorite winter warm-up -- A hearty meatless soup featuring Porcini and Crimini mushrooms, fresh thyme and Marsala wine.

Mushroom Marsala Soup

(adapted from Rachel Ray's Mushroom Soup with Marsala)

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (approx. 1 cup)
4 cups chicken stock
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Marsala wine
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Optional: Lemon olive oil (I prefer Oliviers)

Optional Hardware:

If you have a mandoline, I recommend slicing the criminis and shallots on the 1/8" setting.
Stick (immersion) blender

Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add dried porcinis and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 2: In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil. Add crimini mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until tender and slightly browned (approx. 12-15 minutes). All of the liquid will have evaporated from the pot at this point.

Step 3: Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaf and time. Season with salt (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher) and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until shallots have softened and a fond begins to form on the bottom of the pan.

Step 4: Add Marsala, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half.

Step 5: Remove the porcini mushrooms from the stock; chop, then add to the stock pot. Pour the porcini stock into the pot as well. Add 2 cups boiling water, then simmer for 10 minutes. Slowly stir in the half and half, then simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Step 6: If you have an immersion blender, give a few pulses inside the stock pot to break down about a 1/3 of the mushrooms. If using a conventional blender, remove 1 1/2 cups of the soup, puree, then return to the pot. Stir in the parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with lemon olive oil and garnish with just a touch more of chopped parsley. Serve with a crusty french bread, toasted and drizzled with olive oil.