Mushroom Soup With Fresh Dill and Parsley
Mushrooms add interesting flavors to dishes, and different mushrooms, treated in different ways, even more so.
These recipes use three different mushrooms. The panini, topped with portabellos, make a satisfying, casual meal. Marta Curca, a friend from Romania, makes this unusual mushroom soup with wild mushrooms and white mushrooms. It’s substantial but not heavy. When buying mushrooms, be sure to choose those that are blemish-free with a fresh, smooth, firm surface. Always refrigerate fresh mushrooms. If they are wrapped in plastic, remove it before storing them. Leave them exposed to the air in the container or wrap in paper towels.
When ready to use, try to brush fresh mushrooms clean; wash them only if they’re especially dirty by placing them in a colander and quickly rinsing with cold water. Dry with paper towels. Trim off any bruised spots, tough or dirty ends or edges, and the stem if it looks dry. Remove the dry fibrous end of a portabello stem and its gills. Use a melon baller or a grapefruit spoon to remove the gills.
Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms; cook until they exude moisture, about 6 minutes. Stir in the dried mushrooms. Measure the reserved mushroom liquid with water to make 4 1/2 cups. Add to the pot. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, half-covered, for 30 minutes.
Cook the potato in simmering water until soft, about 15 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Mash the potato until smooth; stir in the liquid.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small nonstick pan over medium heat until light brown; stir in the flour. Cook 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook until the garlic just starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the reserved potato mixture.
Stir the mushrooms into the flour mixture. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the hot soup into the sour cream mixture, stirring constantly. Slowly stir back into the soup. Add the parsley and dill. If the soup is too thick, add more water.
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