Impress your guests at your next dinner party with this elegant soup. I had intended on using cream instead of truffle oil and manchego cheese, but did not realize I had run out of cream. I did have truffle oil on hand and thought that would be a perfect to stir in and it was. I also had manchego cheese on hand that complemented the dish perfectly. I know what you all are thinking “You have truffle oil and manchego cheese on hand, but not cream!†Okay, okay, but guess what it might be slightly healthier, because a little bit of truffle oil goes a long way and it was awesome! Even though the serving below shows a larger portion, I would recommend serving a smaller portion because it is rich. Serves 6 as a first course.
Ingredients
7 tablespoons of olive oil divided
1 oz. package of dried porcini mushrooms reconstituted with 1 cup of water
1/4 lb. (4 oz.) of fresh shitake mushrooms cleaned, stems removed and sliced (about 2 cups)
1/2 lb. (6 oz.) of fresh white button mushrooms cleaned, stems removed and sliced
1/2 lb. (6 oz.) of fresh baby bella mushrooms cleaned, stems removed and sliced
1/3 cup of shallots minced
4 cloves of garlic crushed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stem (pull backwards on the stem to remove leaves)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon of white truffle oil
Fresh grated manchego cheese
Technique
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the microwave. Add mushrooms and let sit for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Strain mushrooms from liquid reserving liquid. Wash mushrooms to remove any grit and set aside. Strain reserved liquid through a paper towel to remove grit and set aside. In a large Dutch oven or pot add 6 tablespoons of oil and fresh mushrooms and sauté over medium high heat until they begin to release their liquid. More oil may be needed if pot seems too dry. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the fresh mushrooms for garnish. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and sauté shallots until slightly browned and add thyme and garlic and sauté for about a minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add sautéed mushrooms, reconstituted mushrooms, broth, reserved porcini liquid and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to low and let simmer for 5 minutes in order for flavors to blend. In batches blend the soup and return back to the pot add truffle oil, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors. If reserved mushrooms are large dice into smaller pieces. Ladle soup into bowls and evenly distribute the reserved cooked fresh mushrooms between each bowl and garnish with fresh grated manchego cheese.
Suggested Beverage
Try Rodney Strong Pinot Noir (California), Pedroncelli Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, California) or Bogle Vineyards Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley).
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