Happy holidays friends! We hope you all had a lovely Gobble Tov by celebrating with family, friends, and so much food that it made you look like a king with potential gout. We at Pie Drunk decided to ease into post-Thanksgiving cooking with some tasty Porcini Mushroom Soup courtesy of 101 Cookbooks, which also has quite a medley of other delicious soups if you are feeling something hearty for this chilly winter weather. The soup is simple, flavorful, and can be done up in a variety of ways such as adding cheese, croutons, or any of the other recommendations 101 Cookbooks gives for the recipe. We grated some manchego cheese on top and it was like perfection in a spoon. Don’t believe us? Give it a try!
Porcini Mushroom Soup
2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (if you feel that this is a bit too much, ¼ cup will suffice)
3 medium shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch pieces (we used a mix of purple and yellow potatoes from the farmer’s market)
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups water
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt
Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft. Set aside. If you choose to, you can slice the mushrooms at this point.
Heat a splash of the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot, saute the shallots for a couple of minutes, then stir in the rosemary and potatoes. Add the remaining olive oil and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, the porcini along with the soaking liquid, the 4 cups of water, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for ten minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste. If the broth is too intense, you may want to add more water a bit at a time. Salt to taste or add herbs to your liking.
