Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Servings: 8
Ingredients:

1 lb Mushrooms,rinsed and drained
2 tb Butter or margarine
1    Large onion,chopped
1/2 ts Dried thyme leaves
1/4 c  All-purpose flour
6 c  Chicken broth,reg-strength
1    Dried bay leaf
1 c  Whipping cream
3 tb Dry sherry
Salt
Pepper

Mushroom soup is so readily available in cans that it seldom occurs to the
cook to make it from scratch. The canned product is, in fact, so universal,
reliable, and chameleon-like in flavor that it has become the base of a
thousand casseroles.
If you seek a more intense mushroom flavor, however, look no further. Erid
Lie, tooting his own horn, claims to have the answer to your prayers right
here.
Flour plays a part in the thickening of this soup, but the basic body and
emphatic statement of mushroom flavor come from cooking part of the
mushrooms with onions until they are mellow and lightly browned, then
pureeing them.
The flavor is further enhanced by adding sliced mushrooms before the final
heating.
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1. Chop half the mushrooms; thinly slice the remaining mushrooms and set
aside.
2. Melt butter in a 5-6 quart pan over medium-high heat; add chopped
mushrooms, onion, and thyme. Stir often until the vegetables are lightly
browned, 15-20 minutes. Mix flour with vegetables.
3. Pour into a blender or food processor; whirl, adding as much broth as
needed to get the mixture smoothly pureed. Pour mixture back into pan; add
remaining broth, sliced mushrooms, bay leaf, and cream.
4. Bring soup to a boil on high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to
low and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Add sherry, salt, and
pepper to taste. Make about 8 cups.

~ Eric Lie, Edmonds, WA