Heavenly Soup

If the baked potato soup is devil soup, then this cream of mushroom soup is straight from heaven.  Actually, the recipe is from a cookbook that was written by a monk.  You can find more information here.  I tasted the mushroom soup last week when we were preparing for the Teacher's Appreciation Dinner.  I guess you could say it's been on my mind since then.

The recipe is straightforward and simple.  I think I goofed a little and the result was a salty taste.  I am not familiar with bouillon cubes and since I had forgotten to buy chicken stock at the store, I was left with bouillon cubes and salted the stockpot way too early.  Either way, I thought it was heavenly even with the extra saltiness.  The only thing I miscalculated was how little my family actually likes mushrooms.  So, a word to the wise, only make this if you really like mushrooms.  Seems pretty common sense, but I thought I'd say it anyway!

So, here are the steps:

slice and chop the veggies and thyme

combine with 4T butter and place into stockpot

Add flour, stir until smooth and add chicken stock.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Puree and add cream.

Continue simmering the soup until ready to serve, do not let it boil

Cream of Mushroom Soup a’ la Romaine
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
½ lb. chopped mushrooms
1 quart chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 carrot, sliced
1 pint cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of thyme

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the mushrooms, onion, carrot, garlic and thyme. Cover and let vegetables simmer for 5 minutes over very low heat.
2. Add the flour and stir well. Add the chicken stock, and bring soup to a quick boil. Over low heat, simmer for a half hour.
3. Blend the soup with an immersion blender and return it to the soup pot. Add the seasonings and cream and mix well. Reheat the soup, but do not let it boil.

We enjoyed our soup with steak sandwiches.  The butcher shop where I buy my beef and pork sells "minute steaks".  I don't often buy them, but judging from the response last night, I will be preparing these more often.  We placed the sauteed steak and onion on crusty Italian rolls that were browned in the oven with a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese.  Of course, we added lots of ketchup and the balance of the vinegar in the ketchup with the richness of the cheddar and meat - seriously mouthwatering.

Oh, and by the way - I haven't forgotten about "tick off tuesdays".  I toyed with the idea of complaining about coupons, school lunches, and the "typical legalist Christian", but it seems my mom's prayers are being answered.  I guess she's been praying for a better attitude for me - she's sneaky like that.