Tag Archives: soup

French Mushroom Soup with Gruyere Toasts

French Mushroom Soup with Gruyere Toasts

Have you ever had a great idea and patted yourself on the back…a little too soon? One of my son’s favorite soups is French onion. I wanted to use that recipe, but with something other than onion. I have nothing against onions. I love them, actually. But, sometimes, it’s nice to change things up. There’s been so much written recently about the nutritional benefits of mushrooms. Mushrooms, even the basic white button variety, can activate our body’s immune system. Another bonus…they are a good source of Vitamin D, also good for your immune system. And really…who doesn’t love that deep, earthy flavor of mushrooms sautéed to a golden brown? Have them bathing in a rich broth and top them with toasty bread bubbling with cheese and how can that be bad? With that image, I chuckled to myself, amazed at my own genius! Well, go ahead and google “French Mushroom Soup.” Sigh. I’m not so brilliant after all.

OK, so this may not be the only version of French Mushroom Soup out there, but this is truly my own. There did not seem to be a standard recipe. Some had cream, others didn’t. This one doesn’t have cream, but I do use butter. It really adds a lot to the soup. It helps to brown the mushrooms and gives the broth a nutty richness. If you do not want to use butter, go ahead and use olive oil and to lighten things up even more, use a low fat Swiss cheese instead of the Gruyere.

French Mushroom Soup with Gruyere Toasts

3 T. butter
1 10 oz. package white button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed and sliced
1 10 oz. package baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed and sliced
1 large leek, rinsed and sliced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T. flour
1/2 C. white wine
6 C. vegetable or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
3 – 4 sprigs fresh thyme, bundled and tied (keep a bit of fresh leaves aside for garnish if you’d like)
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 small baguette, sliced and toasted (day old bread is best)
about 1 C. Gruyere cheese, grated

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter then add the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms are browned. This will take time and the mushrooms will release a lot of their moisture before any browning will even begin. Once all of the liquid is reduced and the bottom of the pot dries out, add the leek and the onion. The mushrooms will start to become golden. Get them as brown as you can. This will just make the soup even more delicious. Once the onions begin to brown, add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the flour and stir to coat. Continue cooking for one more minute then add the wine. Raise the heat to high and simmer the wine for a minute or two. Add the broth, bay leaf and thyme bundle. Bring the soup to a boil and immediately reduce to low to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

When the soup is done simmering, add the parsley and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if it needs it.

Preheat your broiler to 500 degrees with the top rack in its highest position.

On a baking sheet, line up oven safe bowls. Ladle the soup into each bowl. Top with the toasted baguette slices and some Gruyere. Place the baking sheet carefully on the top rack and broil for several minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to get golden.

Remove the baking sheet and with pot holders, carefully move each bowl onto a heat safe dish. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Notes:

  • To keep this vegan, use olive oil instead of butter and use vegan cheese shreds instead of the Gruyere.
  • I combine the two varieties of mushrooms, but mix it up and use whatever mushrooms you like.
  • Leeks can be really dirty and gritty. To clean the leek, slice it in half long ways. Under running water, open up the leaves and rinse any grit with each half, then slice.
4 Replies

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

I’m not sure which part of this soup is the best part, the soup itself or the toppings. I don’t think either could shine as brightly alone. This soup is spicy, smokey and flavorful, but when topped with the richness of avocado, saltiness of Cotija cheese, freshness from lime and cilantro and crunch of the tortillas…it’s like an explosion of flavors and textures in your mouth that all compliment each other.

This tortilla soup is so hearty and satisfying. It’s a perfect dinner that you can make ahead of time, then just top off before serving. You can add shredded chicken or just keep it vegan. Either way, it’s really delicious. I can attest to that. See the second bowl of soup in the background? Yeah, I ate both of them!

Tortilla Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. fresh thyme leaves, stems removed
1 T. chipotle in adobo (see note)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped, seeds and veins removed
8 C. vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 14.5oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 29oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 – 8 corn tortillas, sliced in about 1/2″ wide strips
handful of freshly chopped cilantro or parsley
shredded cooked chicken (if using)

Toppings
1 corn tortilla, sliced into fine strips
vegetable oil spray (I use a Misto)
dash of salt
1 – 2 large avocados, diced
1/2 C. crumbled Cotija Cheese or vegan cheese shreds
1 lime, for squeezing a bit and zesting
the other half of the jalapeño pepper if you’d like more heat

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion,
celery and carrots. Sauté until the onions have softened, then add the garlic. Cook for a minute then add the cumin and thyme. Stir for a second until fragrant, then add the chipotle and jalapeño. Cook one more minute then add the broth and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes.

Add the black beans and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Just before serving, add the tortilla strips and the handful of cilantro or parsley, give it a stir and removed the pot from the heat. Allow to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the toppings.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the tortilla that you cut into fine strips on a baking sheet and spray with the vegetable oil spray and a dash of salt. Toss to coat and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until just golden and crisp.

To serve the soup, put some of the shredded chicken (if using) at the bottom of the bowl, ladle the soup over the chicken, top with the avocado cubes, a squeeze of lime, the Cotija crumbles, some crunchy strips of tortilla then add a bit of lime zest and more cilantro or parsley if desired.

Notes:

  • For the chipotle in adobo, I buy a 7oz. can of it, then using a blender, processor or hand blender, I puree the whole can. Use just what you need, one tablespoon in this case, then store the rest in a labeled sandwich size zipper bag in the freezer. Try to spread it out thinly in the bag so it’s easy to just break some off next time you need it.
  • I know I’ve said this before, but jalapeños can be unpredictable. Start with a small amount in the soup and work your way to your degree of spiciness. I love heat, but between the chipotle and the jalapeño, this soup can get pretty hot!
  • If you’ve made your own chicken broth, just use the shredded chicken from that for this soup. It’s awesome!
  • Cotija Cheese is a hard white cheese made of cow’s milk. It crumbles really well. It is not huge on flavor, but it adds a nice bit of saltiness to this. It is primarily used as a topping.
    •
7 Replies