MUSHROOM & PORCINI SOUP

By BobD

Ingredients

• Makes 8 Servings
• 10 cups hot Chicken Stock, Meat Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken or beef broth
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (about a generous 1/2 cup), chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large baking (Idaho) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 2 medium-size carrots, coarsely shredded
• 1 cup peeled and coarsely grated butternut squash
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms
• 1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from lidiasitaly.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a small bowl, pour 1 cup of the hot stock over the dried porcini mushrooms. Let stand until the porcini are softened, about 20 minutes.

Drain the porcini, straining the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Combine the soaking liquid with the remaining stock. Rinse the soaked mushrooms thoroughly under running water to remove any sand grit. Drain them well and finely chop.

In a deep, heavy 4- to 5- quart pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Most likely, the potatoes will stick, but that is fine; adjust the level of heat to prevent the bits that stick from getting too dark. Stir in the carrots and squash and cook, stirring, until the carrots are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the hot stock mixture, the bay leaves, and chopped porcini mushrooms adn bring to a boil, scraping up the bits of potato from the bottom. Adjust the heat to a simmer and season the soup lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes begin to fall apart, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about two minutes. Add the sliced fresh mushroom, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and cook until all the mushroom liquid as evaporated, about 6 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into soup pot. (The soup can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring the soup to a simmer before continuing.)

Stir the barley into the soup. Cook, stirring often to prevent the barley from scorching, until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, then stir the parsley into the soup and check the seasoning. Serve in warm soup bowls, sprinkled with grated cheese.