I wanted a really yummy start for our first night at the table, so I made a big pot of Mushroom Soup. I served it with a loaf of freshly baked 12-grain bread. I used a mix from a local artisan bakery in the bread machine and focused my efforts on the soup. We had some local pasture butter (very expensive, but very delicious and healthful) for the bread, and passed some fruit-only preserves. I explained to the kids that the preserves were “dessert” for the night as we had gotten into the very bad habit of nightly dessert.

I started with Mushroom Soup from the Nourishing Traditions book (hereafter noted NT) and made a few changes as I went along. It made enough to serve us, with a quart left over. The family liked it, especially the adults. Hubby said it was delicious as long as you didn’t look at it. It was a little “grayer” than I’d like. Here is the recipe I ended up with.

Mushroom Soup
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms, wiped
4 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 quart chicken stock
1/2 cup Zinfandel wine
1 heel whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
sea salt and pepper
buttermilk

Melt the coconut oil in soup pot over medium low heat. Add onion, stir and cover. Wipe mushrooms with damp cloth, dry and quarter. In large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil with 1 tablespoon evoo over medium heat. Add 1/4 of the quartered mushrooms, stirring and cooking until softened and fragrant. Remove with slotted spoon to paper-towel lined bowl. Repeat until all mushrooms are cooked. Add mushrooms, wine, bread and stock to soup pot, bring to a boil and skim of any flotsam with a spoon. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 20 minutes. Pour into soup tureen and puree with handheld blender. Correct seasonings. Pass buttermilk at table for topping.

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