I first read Ruth Reichl's Comfort Me With Apples about five years ago. I loved it passionately upon the initial read, promptly lent the copy to a friend and never saw it again. Despite the fact that I haven't had an edition of the book in my possession for nearly half a decade, I always remembered that she included a recipe for mushroom soup that she would make for her mother and herself while packing up her parents' country house.
I recently reacquired the book and the first thing I did was flip through it, starting at the back, in order to find that recipe. I didn't see it on the first pass and momentarily wondered if my memory had been faulty. I decided to look again, and there is was on page 172. It seemed deadly easy and so I threw it together last night. It was easy, delicious and totally comforting, just the thing to eat when you are going through challenging times.Ruth Reichl's Mushroom Soup from Comfort Me With Apples
1/2 pound of thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 stick of butter (I cut the amount in half with no ill effects)
1 small onion, diced
4 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of beef broth (I used a couple of spoonfuls of liquid beef broth concentrate in a scant cup of water)
2 cups half and half (I only had whole milk and so used that. Turned out find)
salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
*If you like, you can also add a shot of brandy. It's not in Ruth's original recipe, but I found it needed a high, tart note and so added just a bit of brandy. Sherry or some leftover red wine would have also worked nicely.
Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. When foam subsides, add onion and saute until golden. Add mushrooms and saute until brown. Stir in flour and then slowly whisk in broth. Add seasonings. Heat half and half (or milk) on the stove or in the microwave and slowly add to pot. Whisk again to ensure that everything is incorporated. Simmer on low for ten minutes (do not boil). Taste a few minutes in to see if the seasonings work for you and whether you think it needs a shot of booze.
May is National BBQ Month and National Hamburger Month
Cupcakes, not for dessert (unless beef is your idea of a treat)
Because eating French Fries in the car is so tough
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-11-2007 @ 11:33AM
eva said...
Oooooh, I love mushroom soups and things. The Moosewood mushroom goulash, with an extra-soupy sauce, is the first meal I made for my husband when we first started dating--I think it's why he married me. Mushrooms are a blanket of warm, happy goodness.
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9-11-2007 @ 11:48AM
joleym said...
I HAVE made this soup, I saw it in the book and couldn't resist it - it was wonderful and easy too. But I have to make a double batch of it and then my daughter and I take a soft warm roll of french bread and have a great dinner!
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9-11-2007 @ 12:53PM
Amy Z said...
This sounds yummy. I wonder how using chicken broth would taste? (I muich prefer the taste of chicken broth, in general, plus I know some that are avoiding all kinds of beef products, including broth).
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9-11-2007 @ 2:12PM
Schuylar said...
Does Ruth Reichl make anything without either butter and/or full fat dairy? I am surprised she didn't suggest serving the soup with some cheese! I think she even once demonstrated stir frying Asian greens with butter. I personally think her style of cooking is outdated with today's more sophisticated, health conscious palates. This recipe can be made easily with olive oil and more flour to thicken. Instead, one's tongue is coated with fat. Can a person even taste the subtle mushroom flavor?
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9-11-2007 @ 2:43PM
Jim said...
Chicken broth and mushrooms? That sounds OK, but beef and mushrooms go together unlike any other food combo I can think of (including peanut butter and jelly).
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9-11-2007 @ 6:11PM
Jackie said...
Just wondering, this sounds like it's crying out for a clove of crushed garlic sauteed in with the onions - has anyone tried that, or does it not need any "doctoring?"
I can't wait to try this - glad no one in my house eats mushrooms so I can have it all to myself!
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9-12-2007 @ 3:09AM
Bruce said...
What sort of mushrooms did you use?
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9-12-2007 @ 9:15PM
e said...
Soup almost always makes me feel better. I just picked up Tender at the Bone in a used bookstore and read it on my recent vacation, it was wonderful.
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11-18-2007 @ 7:07PM
Charlotte M said...
Mmmm. This soup is so good. I was unsure if I could make something this good but I did. I used 2% milk and a ΒΌ stick of butter. The mushrooms I used were button and baby portobello. I also added an ounce of red wine at the end. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
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