Sunday, December 16, 2012

Roasted Wild Mushroom Chowder

Wow, it has been really cold here.  Yesterday it was in the mid 40's and raining.  When it's this cold I could eat soup everyday, especially a soup like chowder.  Wild mushroom chowder is one of my favorites--earthy, creamy and comforting, but I rarely ever make it because my husband is not a big fan of mushrooms.  It's a texture thing.  Oh well...he survived...the flavor of this chowder is incredible!  Next time I'll just rough chop the mushrooms and he will never know the difference!


Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster, and chanterelle)
1 cup leeks, small diced (about 1 leek)
1 cup carrots, small diced
1 cup celery, small diced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup pale dry sherry (divided)
2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tabasco
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
2 cups baby red potatoes, small diced
1-1/2 cups cashew cream (see recipe below)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives for garnish

Method:
  • Prep mushrooms for roastingCremini: wash, remove very bottom of stem and slice thinly; Shiitake: remove woody stem and slice thinly; Oyster: tear into thin strips; and Chanterelle: remove any dirt with a damp towel, remove the very bottom of the stem and tear into strips.  Note:  Chanterelle mushrooms are very expensive about $19 per pound!  You can use any combination of mushrooms you like, or just use cremini alone.  I just wouldn't use white button mushrooms because they lack in flavor.
  • I pan roasted the mushrooms in a large skillet with some olive oil and salt and pepper, but you can toss in olive oil and roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
  • Heat a large dutch oven on medium heat, add a little olive oil, leeks and saute for about five minutes until leeks soften.
  • Add fresh thyme, garlic, carrots and celery and deglaze with 1/4 cup of dry sherry and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
  • Next add vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes.  Then add roasted mushrooms and potatoes and cook for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
  • Temper the cashew cream into the soup (remove some soup and place into a bowl, stir in the desired amount of cashew cream and add the mixture back into the soup).  Add the remaining dry sherry and heat soup through.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped chives.  
Cashew Cream:

1 cup cashews (soaked for about 4 hours if you have time)
Water to blend

Method:
  • Drain and rinse cashews and place in a blender.  Add enough water to cover cashews and blend on high until creamy.  You may need to strain the mixture if you are not using a high-powdered blender.            
    

8 comments:

  1. We just had this for dinner tonight & it was fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing. :)

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  2. I made this yesterday and really enjoyed it! I was shocked at how creamy it was. Fantastic!

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  3. This looks amazing! I stumbled across this soup on Pinterest. Don't stop sharing! I know it's discouraging when people don't comment on your blogs ( I have 3 and rarely have commenters) but know they are looking. We need more plant strong recipes out there!

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  4. Looks amazing! Will try it soon. :)

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  5. I have made this three times! It's absolutely delicious! Thank you for this great recipe.

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    1. Kzingher...I'm glad that you really liked the recipe. I do too...roasted mushrooms and cream...nothing is better!

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  6. I just made this today for lunch, and both my husband and I really enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing: I'm just switching to a plant based diet and need all new recipes. Thanks again for sharing!

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    1. Thanks Unknown...I'm glad that you and your husband really liked it. Unfortunately, my husband doesn't like mushrooms so we don't eat this as often as I would like to! Hope you're enjoying eating a plant-based diet!

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