Paula's Chanterelle Soup
Overcooked chanterelles taste remarkably like canned mushrooms. For this reason, the mushrooms are cooked separately and added last.
by John Brown
.jpg)
Cantharellus formosus. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org)
This, of course, suggests that the soup might be made with canned mushrooms. Curious, I have also tried that. I like the chanterelles better, but the soup was still delicious. I substituted 4 oz. drained canned mushrooms for a cup of raw chanterelles.
Objective:
Soup
Total Time:
30-45 minutes
Yield:
4 bowls
Suggested Mushrooms:
- Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus)
Ingredients
C chanterelles (or a combination of mushrooms), chopped and cooked in 2–3 Tbl. ghee or butter. Reserve for later use. 1½ C chopped onion, browned in 3–4 Tbl. ghee or butter
6 C broth
3 Tbl. Marsala wine*
1½ tsp. fines herbes or ¾ tsp. each savory and marjoram
6 medium potatoes, cubed
* You can, of course, spend a great deal of money buying your Marsala. I didn’t. I like the less costly brands better; their flavor is more pronounced. Both Gibson (Smart & Final) and Gambarelli & Davitto (Safeway) are less than $5 bucks a bottle, and are great for this soup. Of the wine, my encyclopedia said only that it was named after the Sicilian seaport. Historically, the seaport fares better. It was the site of ancient Lilybaeum, a Punic stronghold yielded to Rome at the end of the 1st Punic War, 241 B.C..
Method
Sauté mushrooms (don't overcook) and then set aside.
Brown onions, add broth, herbs and potatoes.
Cook until potatoes are tender.
Add marsala and the sautéed mushrooms
Add salt and pepper to taste. (Adjust seasoning as desired.)
When reheating leftovers, refresh the Marsala as needed, to taste.