Holiday Mushroom Soup

This recipe is based on the soup my sister-in-law Jean prepares for her family for Wigilia – the traditional Polish Christmas Eve meal. Wigilia is basically “the vigil” and is full of symbolism and family and good food. Mushroom Soup is a traditional dish served as part of the meat-less Wigilia meal so this version, made with both Chicken and Beef Stocks, doesn’t technically qualify for Vegans. For the rest of us, this is a rich, hearty and delicious soup to enjoy the year 'round!

Thanks Jeanie, for sharing this one! Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia!  Merry Christmas!


Holiday Mushroom Soup
Serves: 8-10     Total Time: 2½  Hours


Ingredients

• 4 Ounces Dried Wild Mushrooms
• 4 Cups Boiling Water
• 8 Cups Chicken Stock
• 4 Cups Beef Stock
• ¼ Cup Butter
• 1 Pound White Button Mushrooms – cleaned, trimmed & sliced
• 1 Pound Baby Portabella Mushrooms – cleaned, trimmed & quartered
• ⅓ Cup Madeira Wine
• 1 Cup Pearl Barley
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 2 Cups Sour Cream
• 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Additional Sour Cream for garnish


Preparation Steps

Step 1. Pour Boiling Water over Dried Wild Mushrooms in a large heatproof bowl and soak for one hour.

Dehydrated Wild Mushrooms taking a bath in hot water

Step 2. Pull the soaked Wild Mushrooms up and out of the soaking liquid, reserving the liquid.

Step 3. Put the soaked Wild Mushrooms into a mesh strainer and gently rinse off any clinging grit, give them a rough chop and set aside. Rinse off the strainer.

Step 4. Set a coffee filter in the strainer and place it over an eight quart stock pot.  Slowly pour the soaking liquid from the Wild Mushrooms through the filter and into the pot along with the Chicken and Beef Stocks.

Step 5. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and sauté White Button and Baby Portabella Mushrooms until just beginning to moisten then add the reconstituted and chopped Wild Mushrooms and cook until tender – do not overcook. Reduce heat to low and add ⅓ cup of Madeira, stirring until the wine is mostly absorbed and then add the contents of sauté pan to stock pot.

Step 6. Rinse and drain Pearl Barley and add to pot along with Lemon Juice.

Step 7. Bring stock pot to boil over Medium-High heat, stir just to blend contents, cover and reduce heat to simmer for one hour

Step 8. In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly combine Sour Cream and Flour and then whisk in about a cup of the hot soup liquid, to temper the Sour Cream mixture.

Step 9. Add the tempered Sour Cream mixture to the hot soup, whisking to incorporate completely.  Increase heat to medium-high and continue to gently whisk until the soup begins to boil.

Step 10. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings with Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.


Tips and Trending

~ Use your favorite dried mushrooms – the stronger and woodier tasting, the better!

~ If Barley doesn’t float your boat – you can make this with an equal amount of Orzo, the little rice-shaped pasta, added in the last 20 minutes of cooking before the addition of the Sour Cream mixture.

~ To be meat-less for Wigilia, substitute Vegetable Stock for the Chicken and Beef Stocks.

~ For an interesting garnish, mix ¼ cup of Sour Cream with 1 teaspoon of Madeira or Cognac and use a squeeze bottle to drizzle a design (your guest’s initial?) on top of the soup before serving.

~ Serve with toasted Rye croutons.