Creamy Chestnut Mushroom Soup With Sauteed Root Vegetables Food

MIXED-ROOT-VEGETABLE SAUTé

Steps:

• Cook a thinly sliced medium onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel and grate a few carrots, sweet potatoes and radishes or turnips; add them, along with some minced garlic, to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.
• Add the juice of half a lime (this will loosen the mixture a bit), a sprinkle of chili powder, a handful of chopped scallions and fish sauce to taste
• Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

HEARTY VEGGIE SOUP IN A CREAMY MUSHROOM BROTH

Steps:

• Melt the margarine in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the celery, carrot, and onion in the melted margarine until the onion is tender and slightly browned, about 10 minutes; add the ham, potatoes, corn, green beans, and enough water to cover the mixture completely. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are cooked nearly through, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Stir the broccoli, cream of mushroom soup, Swiss-style cheese food, 2% milk, salt, and black pepper into the soup; cook just until the cheese is melted into the soup, about 5 minutes.

CREAMY CHESTNUT-MUSHROOM SOUP WITH SAUTEED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Combine porcini mushrooms and 3 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms to heavy large saucepan. Add porcini soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add vegetable stock and chestnuts to same saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Add cream and 1 tablespoon Sherry. Bring soup to simmer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, carrot and rutabaga; sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon Sherry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables and serve.
• *Porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and many supermarkets nationwide.

CREAMY CHESTNUT SOUP WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND SAUTEED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Combine porcini mushrooms and 2 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms, soften, about 15 minutes.
• In a saucepan melt butter and add carrots, celery, parsnips and shallots. Saute until tender. Add bouquet garni and chicken stock.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms into saucepan with chicken broth. Add porcini-soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving sediment behind in bowl. Add chestnuts and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, return soup to saucepan. Add Sherry. Bring soup to simmer, correct seasonings adding salt and pepper, to taste. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium heat before continuing.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables, and garnish with leeks.

CREAMY CHESTNUT MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Simmer the soup: Reduce the heat to medium low to allow the soup to simmer, with small bubbles only, uncovered, about 20 minutes, until chestnuts are a bit softened. Using tongs, carefully remove the thyme stems and discard.
• Blend the soup in a blender: Turn off the stove and let the soup cool for about five minutes. You'll only be blending half of the soup for this recipe. Remove half the soup with a ladle or a glass liquid measuring cup and carefully pour it into a blender carafe. If the soup still feels very hot when you place it in the blender, remove the center cap of the blender's lid and place a clean dish towel over it, so steam can escape as you blend the soup. If using a low-power blender, blend on medium, about 15 seconds or if using a high-speed blender, about five seconds, until the soup is creamy. The half batch of soup should fit in a standard sized blender well below the "fill to" line. If you have a small blender, though, you may wish to do this in two batches.
• Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with additional salt and pepper, to taste, and a few thyme leaves. Serve.

CHESTNUT AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and leek. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Deglaze with brandy, if using, or 3 tablespoons warm water (pour in the liquor or water and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon).
• If you are using vacuum-packed or jarred chestnuts, pat them dry with paper towels. Add the chestnuts to the pot and cook for 4 minutes, stirring gently from time to time, until the chestnuts are lightly golden.
• Reserve two mushrooms for garnish. Slice the remaining mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the chilli powder if desired. Pour in the stock and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
• Let the soup cool for a few minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, until the soup is smooth with just a few remaining chunks. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste, and adjust the seasoning. (The soup can be made a day ahead up to this point). Reheat and ladle into bowls. Cut the reserved mushrooms in slices, and chop the parsley leaves roughly. Plop a mushroom slice on the surface of each bowl, sprinkle with parsley and a touch of freshly ground pepper, and serve.

WINTER ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat 2 Tablespoons canola oil in a 4-quart saucepan or soup pot over medium heat.
• Add onions and garlic and cook slowly without browning until soft. Add a few drops of water or chicken broth if pan becomes dry.
• Add parsnip, celery root, turnip, leek and potato and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook and stir until vegetables begin to get tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are completely tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a medium sauté pan over moderately high heat.
• Add remaining 2 Tablespoons oil and sauté mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Transfer root vegetables and liquid from the saucepan to a blender and puree until smooth. (Puree in two batches, if necessary.)
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, divide soup among four bowls, add mushrooms to each and garnish with chives.

CREAMY ROOT VEGGIE SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Cook and stir onion in bacon drippings 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Add celery root, parsnips, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf., Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or, cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender; return to pan. Stir in cream, 2 teaspoons thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg; heat through. Top servings with bacon and additional thyme.

CHESTNUT-MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paring knife, make an incision in each chestnut about 1/8-inch deep through the shell and into the flesh, cutting almost all the way around nut. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until chestnuts are tender when pierced with the paring knife, about 35 minutes. Turn off oven. Leaving sheet in oven, remove several chestnuts at a time. Working quickly, place each chestnut in a kitchen towel, and remove and discard shell and inner skin.
• Roughly chop all but 2 cremini and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all but 4 peeled chestnuts, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add stock and the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until chestnuts are falling-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard thyme sprigs, and let soup cool slightly.
• Pass soup through a fine sieve into a bowl; transfer solids in batches to a food processor or blender, and puree until completely smooth. Add strained liquid, and process 1 minute. Return soup to stockpot, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the remaining 4 chestnuts and 4 mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sliced chestnuts and mushrooms until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Just before serving, heat soup over low. Stir in cream, and remove from heat. Ladle soup into shallow bowls; garnish with sauteed chestnuts and mushrooms and the thyme leaves.

CREAMY CURRIED ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir turnips, radishes, garlic, and green onions in melted butter until hot, about 3 minutes. Stir carrots, red potatoes, and vegetable stock into the turnip mixture; bring to a simmer, add bay leaf, and reduce heat to low. Cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Working in batches, pour the turnip mixture into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than half full. Carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the mixture moving before leaving it on to puree. Transfer to a large saucepan over low heat.
• Stir milk, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, brown sugar, and black pepper into the soup; cook and stir constantly until color and spices are evenly mixed. Let soup simmer over very low heat for another 10 minutes.