Mushroom Soup

Yea, there is just not much to say on this one - it's mushroom soup.  It looks like mushrooms.  It tastes like mushrooms.  I like mushrooms, so for me, this was a good choice.  But that's all I've really got...no I'm lying, I always have something else to add.

I was a bit disappointed that Maria Luisa didn't give me a suggestion on the type of mushroom I should use.  Under ingredients she simply says "1 pound mushrooms, sliced thin."  Even in the most basic of grocery stores there is still, usually, a set of options for mushrooms in the produce section.  You have the basic white mushroom, the baby bella mushrooms, and portabellas.  I thought portabellas would be a bit much for a soup, so that left me with white v. bella.  They have a similar taste, but bellas have a better look.  When cooked, the white mushrooms get a bit grey.  For the bellas, their brownish, rustic hue holds well even throughout the cooking process.  Baby bellas for the win!

Mushroom Soup

Zuppa di Funghi

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby bella mushrooms - sliced thin

2 slices bacon - finely chopped

2 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp parsley - chopped

1 egg - beaten

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese - grated

6 c. chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saute pan, melt butter then saute bacon and parsley until bacon is slightly crisp.  

If you can't tell from this picture, I went the semi-healthy route and used turkey bacon.  With turkey bacon, in this particular situation, you face the issue of not really being able to see it become crisp.  It is a much more pronounced change with regular bacon. So, here, what you need to watch for is the foaming that occurs as the fat in the bacon cooks out and heats along with the butter in the pan.  When you have a full froth you have cooked the bacon enough to move on.

Add mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place  broth in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil.  Add the mushrooms, season to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Okay, so at this point your next step in Maria Luisa's world is to mix together the beaten egg and Parmesan cheese in a soup tureen then pour in the soup and serve.  In Brianne's world you mix the beaten egg and Parmesan cheese together and pour that into the pot of soup.  In whichever direction you choose to pour your ingredients, the same thing happens - scrambled eggs.

I honestly do not know if Maria Luisa meant for this to happen or if I did something wrong but it totally looks like I attempted some weird egg drop/mushroom soup mash-up.

On the upside, I kind of love how this soup tastes.  The baby bellas held up well and just give the broth a more robust look.  Because they held onto their texture you feel like you are having an actual meal.  Soups that do not have much in them always make me nervous because I think "will I be starving in an hour?" But, this soup tides me over.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!