Ahhh... Soup

Here is South Carolina, Mother Nature has just begun giving a taste of Fall.  The mornings and evenings have been wonderfully cool and the days just mildly warm.  Well, that is until today.  Today, it was back in the 90's again.   Mother Nature... what a tease!

Like many of you, one of my favorite things to make for dinner in the Fall and Winter is soup.  What's not to like?  It warms you up, fills you up and it's easy to make.  I especially like how you can throw just about any lingering veggie you have in a pot with some broth or even water and you have a complete meal.

Last winter, I purchased a book that I'd read  about over at Angry Chicken, called Love Soup by Anna Thomas.

The recipes in the book are all vegetarian, with some being vegan, but just like any recipe, they can be adapted.  There are some odd sounding soups in this book like Puree of Carrot and Yam with Citrus and Spices, but there are many more soups that make my mouth drool just by reading the name.  Like Spicy Black Bean Soup With Sweet Peppers and Creamy Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup.  I've made several soups from this book and one thing I like about it is that the recipes have given me the opportunity to try veggies that I've never tried before.  Like chard and fennel.

And the recipes don't stop at soup.  There are dips and spreads like Sprouted Garbanzo Hummus, Parsley and Walnut Pesto, sandwiches like the Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich, salads such as Cucumber, Rice and Fresh Herb Salad.  There are also several bread recipes and dessert recipes. 

Tonight, I made the Old Fashioned Cream of Mushroom Soup and it was so smooth and velvety and mushroomy.  I actually modified the recipe a little because I had some carrots that I needed to use up and I didn't have any sherry, which the recipe called for.    Here is my version.

Old Fashioned Cream of Mushroom Soup

Adapted from Love Soup.

1- 8oz package of white mushrooms

1 - 8 oz package of baby bella mushrooms

1 large white onion

4 cloves of garlic

2 celery stalks

2 carrots

3 TBS olive oil

7 cups veggie broth (I used chicken)

3 TBS Arborio rice

2 TBS crushed rosemary

1/2 tsp smoked paparika

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

Chop the celery & carrots and add to a soup pot with the broth and one clove of chopped garlic.  Also, add the rice.  Simmer over medium heat.

While soup base is simmering, heat half of the oil in a skillet.  While oil is heating, chop the onion.  When pan is hot, add onion and saute until they are soft.  Add to soup base.

In another skillet, add the remaining oil and once hot, add the three remaining cloves of garlic.  While garlic is sauteing, slice mushrooms (removing stems) and then add them to the garlic.  Stir in the salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme & paprika.  Cook over medium heat until mushrooms release their juices.  Then stir into soup base.

Continue to simmer the soup over medium heat, covered, for about 20 minutes or until rice, carrots and celery are soft.

Puree soup with an immersion blender or regular blender.  Once pureed, stir in the cream and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Now, if you're still here, I've got the 411 on this week's Foodie Friday.  No theme this week because it's a Potluck!  Link up any recipe you have.  The more, the merrier!

* Some info on the Foodie Friday link party:

I love food and I love finding new recipes and so I thought having a recipe link party would be a fun way to have a sort of modern day recipe swap.  I've decided to host this party on Fridays and call it Foodie Friday. 

Linking to these fantastic link parties.