Mushroom Marsala Soup

My husband and I recently marked our 1-year wedding anniversary (gosh, that sounds weird). To celebrate, we spent a long weekend in Kennett Square, PA the mushroom capital of the world. (I think they are at least). We were there for the Annual Mushroom Festival, where we sampled over 15 types of mushroom-based soups, stuffed mushrooms 5 ways and even had mushroom icecream. It was awesome and inspiring.

My plan for 2011 is to enter the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival's amateur mushroom soup contest. After you submit your recipe, judges make your soup at their home, then the top picks are invited to cook live at the fest ala Food Network. One winner takes home the crown and $500.

It just so happens the Marc Jacobs ballet flats I need cost exactly that.

So, after experimenting with some recipes, here is the best I have. It's an ode to traditional soup with a Devor twist- Marsala wine. Think of how savory and juicy mushrooms in chicken marsla are and how that would translate into a soup. Amazing.

PLEASE loyal friends and readers- try to make this soup and let me know how it goes. Are the instructions easy and accurate (remember, I'm free styling here)? Was it good? Did it look pretty/edible? And most importantly do you think it will win?





Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 large shallots chopped thin and small
2 celery stalks, chopped thin and small
3 thick sliced of onion chopped thin and small
3 large garlic cloves chopped thin and small
3 cups thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
3 cups thinly sliced white button mushrooms
3 cups thinly sliced oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup Cooking Sherry
1/4 cup all purpose flour
32 ounces vegetable broth
1 pint whipping cream

Prep:
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot and add garlic, onion and shallot. Cook until mushy, about 6-8 minutes.

Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushy and soft, additional 6-8 minutes.

Add wine and sherry and bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Mix remaining butter and flour in small bowl until it starts to form a crumbly paste type substance (use a fork to mash the butter into the flour, usually takes about 2-3 minutes.

Add flour/butter paste mixture to the pot and stir until all the vegetables are covered in it. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

Turn off heat and stir in cream. Working in batches, add soup to a blender or food processor and blend each batch for about 10 seconds or until desired constancy.

Serve hot. Can be made in advance and kept for several days.

Add toast points, chopped chives or sliced oyster mushrooms as edible garnish.




Shown here with rye toast with a anchovy, olive oil and roasted garlic spread topped with chives