We made two different recipes, but they both called for a while lot of button mushrooms. My recipe called for chopped, while she was able to use food processor on her mushrooms.
Mine started with a creamy sauce with leeks and other veggies. Simmered for 45 mins and FINALLY add the mushrooms.
The mushrooms were barely cooked and while the soup had a great flavor it wasn't mushroom. Certainly not a substitute for the canned stuff. It was too chunky for me, so we ground it up in the blender, and it helped get it closer to what we were looking for but not perfect.
This recipe was completely opposite. It started with the mushrooms, dry, simmering until it created it's own juice. It was amazing how much juice it created..
See? Once it got to this point THEN the cream and stuff was added. It was a great substitute, JUST the right flavor, but the chunks were too much, so we ran it through the blender and voila! PERFECT! It could have been a bit thicker, either simmering longer, or maybe draining some of the juice before adding the cream and stuff. I'm not sure, add some other thickener maybe. But it was great, and I'm looking forward to using it next time I make my pork chops!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
serves 4
1 lbs white mushrooms
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 C cream
1 1/2 C chicken stock
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
In a food processor coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice. Melt butter in sauce pan and lightly saute shallots on med heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf. Saute over low/med heat for 10-15 mins, until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears. Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins. Add cornstarch and simmer another 10 mins, stirring constantly, add more seasonings and lemon juice to taste.
