Pureed Mushroom Soup

I love soup, but I’ve never been a huge fan of mushroom soup, most of which are mushrooms and barley in broth. (Don’t get me wrong – I love mushrooms and barley, but have never been so into the combo of both in soup form). A few weeks ago my mind changed when I had a delicious pureed mushroom soup.When the soup arrived at the table I was surprised to see that it was a puree, not the quintessential mushroom barley soup I was expecting. The puree was so smooth and velvety. I decided that I wanted to try to make it at home, and so I did. I searched for some recipes, and as usual I tweaked to keep the end result a light, creamy puree without the added calories and saturated fat from heavy cream.

Pureed Mushroom Soup
Serves: 12; Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots and/or onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, chopped
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and diced

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and/or onions and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt, and a few turns of pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the broth, water, evaporated skim milk, and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for one hour.
4. Working in batches, blend the soup in a blender (works much better than a food processor). Return the pureed soup to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot. (I served this soup in tea cups at a cocktail party. You can also serve it in shot glasses!)

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 62 calories, 3 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium.

Cooking Tip: Hold the cover to the blender with a towel to prevent soup from splattering.

Serving Suggestion: Sautè some extra sliced mushrooms and put in the bottom of the bowl before pouring in the soup.  You can also top the soup with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Nutrition Tip: Mushrooms are the only source of vitamin D in the produce aisle! They are also a very good source of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure; selenium, an antioxidant with cancer-fighting benefits; and the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin, which help provide energy to your body.