Hazelnut Mushroom Soup
Soup
- 2/3 cup Oregon hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 pound button or crimini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced (save stems for mushroom stock)
- 1/2 pound wild mushrooms (chanterelles, porcini, or shitake are all good)
- 1/4 cup Amontillado sherry or Marsala
- 3 or 4 cups mushroom stock (recipe below) or chicken stock (see notes at bottom)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the hazelnuts for 10 minutes until they are lightly toasted and their skins begin to crack. Remove from oven and put hazelnuts in clean dishtowel. Rub vigorously to remove as much skin as possible. When cool, grind the nuts in a food processor and set aside.
Mushrooms
Melt the butter in a very large saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the mushroom slices and sauté 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Deglaze the pan with sherry or Marsala. Add the mushroom stock and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Puree the soup and nuts together in a food processor or blender (see notes at bottom) in batches- process a long time until the hazelnuts are completely smooth and integrated into the soup.
Sherry/Marsala Cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons sherry or Marsala
- Finely chopped tarragon, chives, or parsley to garnish
Whip the cream, and add the sherry or Marsala. Serve dolloped on top of the hot soup and sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Mushroom Stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped coarsely
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 leek, rinsed and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 to 8 ounces mushrooms from preceding recipe
- 6 cups water
Heat the olive oil in a large 4 quart saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and leek and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion is well browned, about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sautée another 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 45 minutes. Strain through a sieve.
Comments
** Cook’s notes: First, this recipe looks like a lot of work, but it really isn’t that hard and comes together quite easily. Secondly, I would definitely make the mushroom stock and skip the chicken stock option. It is very easy and is crazily aromatic. Lastly, use a blender if you have one. The soup will come out velvety smooth, more so than in the processor, which is exactly what you want.- bb