Mushroom Bisque That Will Make Your Guests Moan, Literally

You don’t need a heavy dose of cream to finish off this perfect Bisque. With a slab of crispy French bread and a nice Chardonnay, you cannot go wrong.

This week, the temperature dropped into the twenties. That is unnerving on many levels when you walk outside for the first time and receive a bitch slap square on the face from Mother Nature.

There’s only one sensible thing to do to combat this unfortunate turn in the weather. It’s the only option, and yes, it will require additional time on the treadmill but maybe that’s a good thing…

COMFORT FOOD!

This soup qualifies and if you dial down one ingredient featured in the recipe itself, you can dial down the fat element before serving. Introducing Chef John’s Mushroom Soup recipe, but frankly, it tastes and feels like a bisque, so I renamed it in due respect to the chef.

Besides, it’s hard to serve ‘soup’ as a meal, a bisque has more body and when served with a nice slab of French bread, this one will fill you up for the evening.

This dish requires two pounds of mushrooms. Don’t buy them pre-sliced, that represents a waste of money and it’s easy enough to wipe each one down with a damp paper towel and slice them. Mix them up between white button and brown bell mushrooms.

The heaviest part of the dish is the ¼ cup of butter required to brown up the mushrooms. It’s worth it when cooked properly down to browned and caramelized mushrooms, your mouth will start watering from the aromas.

Add the onions into the pot and cook for five minutes and then add a tablespoon of flour for a roux and cook for a minute or so. A quart of broth (low sodium) and a cup of water go in next, along with some fresh cloves of garlic and a bundle of tied thyme. Watch the video, a well-trained monkey can prepare this dish.

You’ll need a blender an hour later to whip up the liquid/mushroom mixture once you remove the bundled thyme.

From there, once it is liquified to a smooth taste, pour it all back into the pot and add a dash of half-and-half or heavy cream. Don’t go crazy here, it’s unnecessary, and that will save you an extra layer of fat on your love handles!

But maybe when it gets cold that’s a good thing? My handles are big enough, screw the cream. I’d seriously add a 1/3^rd of a cup and then give it a taste. It will need a solid dose pepper, perhaps some salt but go light and stir, taste it along the way.

I had two guests moan in ecstasy when they ate this. It’s kind of weird to witness on some level, but my paternal instincts and my ego ate it up. A solid baguette is a must and you can go with either white or red wine, but chardonnay offers a nice contrast to the soothing tastes of the bisque when it rolls over your tongue.

I hope you love it and if you do, send a note to me or add a comment! And cheers again to the almighty Chef John!