Creamy Roasted Garlic & Shiitake Mushroom Soup

1. 1

   Remove the tough stems from the mushrooms, you can compost them, save to add to a stock or brown them and simmer with the stock you’ll use to make the soup.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 375 F. Quarter the mushroom caps and toss with the oil, thyme sprigs and salt.

3. 3

   Cut the stem end of the garlic bulb off to expose the cloves. Lightly oil, wrap in foil with a few thyme sprigs.

4. 4

   Lay the mushrooms on a baking sheet lined with parchment or in a large cast iron skillet. Nestle the wrapped garlic bulb in the pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Allow the mushrooms and garlic to cool and reserve them for later. Pick out the thyme sprigs and discard.

5. 5

   Separate a few pieces of mushroom out for the garnish. Cut the mushrooms into thin wedges, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and whole, tiny leaves of fresh thyme. A few drops of white or red wine vinegar can be nice too.

6. 6

   Heat the butter in a 3 quart sauce pot with the leek, onion and celery. Cook on medium low to medium heat until the vegetables are begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted mushrooms and rice and cook for 5 minutes more. Do not color the bottom of the pan.

7. 7

   Add the sherry or wine to the pan and cook off. Add the stock to the pan and bring to a simmer, turn to low and cook until the rice is tender.

8. 8

   Transfer the soup to a blender, add the cream and puree until very smooth. it should puree for a minute or two. If you want to make it extra smooth, drizzle in two tablespoons of mild cooking oil while it purees.

9. 9

   Taste the seasoning for salt, adjust until it tastes good to you. Assess the consistency of the soup, if it seems thick, add a splash of stock or water. Chilled immediately and refrigerated in a container with a tight fitting lid the soup will last for around 5-6 days.

Serving

1. 1

   To serve, heat the soup, whisking to ensure it’s nice and smooth. Serve in warmed cups or small soup bowls garnished with a thread of extra virgin olive oil and a few of the roasted mushrooms or other things like croutons, fresh cut chives, chopped toasted hazelnut or walnuts, etc.

2. 2

   If you want to sip the soup, thin it with a splash of water or stock as needed to loosen the consistency and garnish with an oil and fresh cut chives.