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.
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