A couple portobello mushrooms, some leftover wine, and some vegetable broth that I recently made, were sitting in the fridge awaiting an inspiration.
It was a creation of necessity. But it was also a creation of love, as my husband is the main mushroom eater of the family. I like to experiment with new ways of serving them but I am not entirely fond of them myself. I was surprised how fragrant and hearty this simple soup turned out.
The richness was remniscent of French Onion soup and so I had to top it, in French fashion, with gruyere toast. A delightful way to serve this brothy mushroom soup.
Frenched Portobello Mushroom Soup
EASY
Makes 2 small bowls of soup
I made this with my some vegetable broth I had in the fridge that was made with all the leftover veg at the end of the week (some onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, and potatoes). I added a touch of soy sauce for richness of colour and flavour and it worked wonders with this soup. If you are using store-bought vegetable broth, perhaps add a teaspoon of soy sauce to get that same richness. This makes only a small portion of soup, so be sure to double it if you have more people to serve. You could substitute organic beef broth for the vegetable broth for a richer soup.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp fresh)
1/4 cup good quality red wine ( I used an organic merlot)
2 cups vegetable broth (homemade or store bought, with or without a tsp of soy sauce)
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
french or peasant bread
grated gruyere cheese
1. Saute garlic in oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add chopped mushrooms and saute until slightly wilted and golden, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in thyme. Add red wine and cook for another minute.
4. Add vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
5. Preheat broiler and place 2 slices of bread on baking sheet with grated gruyere on top. Broil until golden. Ladle soup into bowls and top with gruyere toasts.
