Appetizer Spotlight FBC2017: Mushroom Soup with Mushroom Dusted Croutons by Mary’s Happy Belly

With the appetizer contest closed, we’re busy behind the scenes evaluating the competition. As we take a look at them all, we think you should too! We have a few final entries to share…Bloggers are sharing their favourite appetizers, this time with a Canadian twist, for a chance to win their way in to FBC2017! FBC members were invited to join the contest, earning them entry and accommodations at the conference, as well as a spotlight feature at the Mushrooms Canada table during the opening night reception. For those of you who are just here for delicious eats, watch the competition unfold, as we share each entry and help us decide!

We’re thrilled to have Mary of Mary’s Happy Belly join this year’s competition, sharing a classic comfort that’s fit for fall and October’s FBC conference. When I think of Canadian cuisine, there are many comfort food dishes that come to mind. Cream of mushroom soup in particular is one that is a hit in many households loved by kids and adults!

Growing up, I have had my fair share of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup and I am sure you have too.

Although I still enjoy it, I wanted to make a version from scratch that was packed with the earthy mushroom flavour and is way better for you than the canned stuff. This soup has it all from the full mushroom flavour and a creamy texture.

I have used homemade chicken stock in the recipe, but the recipe can be made vegetarian with vegetable stock. Feel free to change up the mushrooms but do use a combination of dried and fresh. The water from dehydrating the dried mushrooms are used in the soup as well for that extra umami!

The soup is topped with homemade croutons using dried mushroom dust for that added punch and oomph to the soup.

This soup is the perfect appetizer for any time of year and a great way to celebrate our Canadian produce. Each sip of this Canadian favourite is heavenly and comforting with mushrooms as the star!

Have more stock handy than what the recipe calls depending on how thick you want the soup.The Best Cream of Mushroom Soup with Mushroom Dusted Croutons
I decided on this recipe because Canadian’s love soup, and it makes a comforting appetizer to start any meal any time of the year. The star in this soup are Canadian mushrooms, using dried and fresh, with croutons that also have dried mushroom dust. The liquid from the dried mushrooms are also used in the recipe. Every sip and bite is full of umami flavour!

Ingredients

680 g of white mushrooms-stems removed (About 3 ½ cups chopped)
80 g of dried mushrooms including Porcini, Oysters, and Portobello (About 2 cups)
¼ cup of shallots- minced
5 cups of chicken stock
1/3 cup of red wine
Chicken velouté : ¼ cup of butter + ¼ cup of flour + 2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of mushroom juice from the dried mushrooms
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
½ cup of cream
1/3 cup of butter
Canola oil for cooking
1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Croutons:
4 slices of white bread with the crust removed
10 g of dried mushrooms including Porcini, Oysters, and Portobello (About ¼ cup)

Method

1. Rehydrate the dried mushrooms by washing them and soaking them in room temperature water for a few hours or overnight. Before cooking them, drain the re-hydrated mushrooms and squeeze as much water out of it. Run the mushroom liquid through a sieve several times to get rid of the sediments. Keep the liquid.
2. Do a rough chop of the re-hydrated mushrooms. Do a rough chop of the fresh white button mushrooms.
3. Dice the shallots.
4. In a large pot, add butter and oil, and sauté the shallots. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook until tender (about 7 minutes). Turn the heat on high, and add in the red wine and deglaze the pot.
5. Make the chicken voulete. Turn the heat on medium and make a roux by adding equal parts of the butter and flour. Mix well until it forms a paste. Add in 2 cups of chicken stock and stir. The sauce should become creamy, similar to a béchamel sauce.
6. Keep the heat on medium. Add the chicken voulete to the mushroom mixture and add in the remaining chicken stock and thyme. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Add the cream.
7. Blend the soup until the desired consistency.
8. Make the croutons. Blend 10 g of the dried mushrooms until it turns into a dust. Cut the crust off the bread, and cut the bread into 1 x 1 pieces. Place the bread pieces onto a baking tray and drizzle extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and sprinkle the dried mushroom dust. Use your hands to coat every piece of bread.
9. Broil the croutons on high for about 10 minutes while flipping half way, or until the croutons become golden.
10. Ladle the soup and top with the croutons. Add more mushroom dust on the soup or croutons as desired.

Tip: To avoid getting the film of “skin” on the top of the soup, place parchment paper on top of the soup.

Bio
My blog www.maryshappybelly.com started at the 2013 and covers recipes, Toronto events, product reviews and restaurant reviews. I love to cook from scratch! My Cantonese dishes on my blog are inspired and adapted from my mom’s cooking. My success over the 3.5 years included being invited to attend various food shows, charity events, cooking with celebrity Chefs and was even on a culinary competition TV show called the Pressure Cooker on the W Network. I also recently interviewed Mijune Pak, one of the judges on Top Chef Canada.~~~~~FBC Members were encouraged to join the competition with their own recipe! The contest is now closed.