Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cream of mushroom soup is an oldie but a goodie.  I made this at work for our soup of the day recently.  It's very rich and makes a big pot and is perfect for a cold day!  Leftovers are great too!  Here's how to make it:

What you'll need:

1/2 lb. butter

1/2 lb. bacon,sliced

3 onions, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

10 cloves of garlic, minced

3 lb. mushrooms, any blend you'd like

1 bunch thyme, stripped from the stem

6 sprigs rosemary, stripped from the stem

6 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine

3 T Worcestershire 

2 5.2 oz packages boursin cheese (garlic and herb)

1 qt heavy cream

Salt

Chives, for garnish

Truffle oil, for garnish

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1/2 the butter and saute the onion and celery with bacon.   Season generously with salt.  When the bacon has given off a lot of fat and the veggies are tender add the garlic.  Cook a minute more.

Add half of the mushrooms and stir.  Add a sprinkle more salt.  When the mushrooms have cooked down quite a bit add the fresh herbs.  Cook a minute more then add 3 cups of chicken stock and let it heat.

When it's hot but not boiling, turn off the heat.  Working in batches, blend in a blender.  When everything is pureed, put it back in the pot and back on the stove and set aside.

In another pan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat.  Add the remaining mushrooms and cook until they have cooked down.  Add the white wine and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the sauteed mushrooms to the pot of pureed soup.

Stir in the remaining chicken stock and heavy cream.  When hot, stir in Worcestershire and melt in the boursin cheese.  Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed.

Garnish with a drizzle of truffle oil and a sprinkle of fresh chives.