it has been uncharacteristically cold in southern california. we have had not days, but weeks of rain. there is actual snow visible in the mountains. and the soup cravings continue.

we have another wave of rain coming this weekend and i find few things more comforting than a big bowl of creamy soup. and this creamy mushroom is luscious and packed full of flavor. mushrooms are jammed full of what they call “umami” or savoriness. even though the soup is mostly veggies and a bit of dairy, it will shock you at how “meaty” and satisfying a bowl can be.

creamy mushroom soup

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil. 4 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped. .5 cup dried porcini mushrooms. 3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced. 1 leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced. 1 small yukon gold potato, peeled and diced. 1 medium brown onion, diced. 1 garlic clove, minced. 5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed. .25 cup marsala wine. 3 cups water. 1 cup whole milk. 1.5 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. immersion blender or food processor. your favorite crusty bread for serving.

start by soaking your dried mushrooms in the milk for 1 hour. while your mushrooms are soaking, prep the rest of your vegetables. once your mushrooms have soaked, strain them through a fine mesh strainer. reserve the milk, and roughly chop the soaked porcini mushrooms. in a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. add in the onions and leeks. season with a third of the salt and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

add in cremini and porcini mushrooms, the potato and the thyme.

stir well and allow the cremini mushrooms to begin to sweat. 3-4 minutes. pour in the marsala and stir well. allow the liquid to cook down.

pour in the water and another third of the salt and pepper. bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce it a simmer and allow it to cook for 20 minutes. remove the soup from the heat.

use your immersion blender or food processor to purée the soup till smooth.

add in the shiitake mushrooms and the remaining salt and pepper and bring the soup back to a boil.

pour in the milk and once again bring it to a boil. turn off the heat.

serve with crusty bread and enjoy.

xo, a

creamy mushroom soup

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil. 4 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped. .5 cup dried porcini mushrooms. 3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced. 1 leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced. 1 small yukon gold potato, peeled and diced. 1 medium brown onion, diced. 1 garlic clove, minced. 5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed. .25 cup marsala wine. 3 cups water. 1 cup whole milk. 1.5 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. immersion blender or food processor. your favorite crusty bread for serving.

start by soaking your dried mushrooms in the milk for 1 hour. while your mushrooms are soaking, prep the rest of your vegetables. once your mushrooms have soaked, strain them through a fine mesh strainer. reserve the milk, and roughly chop the soaked porcini mushrooms. in a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. add in the onions and leeks. season with a third of the salt and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. add in cremini and porcini mushrooms, the potato and the thyme. stir well and allow the cremini mushrooms to begin to sweat. 3-4 minutes. pour in the marsala and stir well. allow the liquid to cook down. pour in the water and another third of the salt and pepper. bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce it a simmer and allow it to cook for 20 minutes. remove the soup from the heat. use your immersion blender or food processor to purée the soup till smooth. add in the shiitake mushrooms and the remaining salt and pepper and bring the soup back to a boil. pour in the milk and once again bring it to a boil. turn off the heat. serve with crusty bread and enjoy.

finally, socal has had a string of less than scorching weather. in fact, i even wore a sweater to our friendsgiving celebration on sunday. i mean, it was very thin in weight, had cut out shoulders and a lace back, but i wore a sweater dammit. and boots. boom. 

you know how us warm weather folk roll. the second it drops below seventy, we grab the boots and sweaters and make soup. and i'm just as basic as the rest, so of course we are talking about soup today. 

while potato leek soup will always have a special place in my heart, this roasted butternut squash soup is what i make for people i want to impress. yeah, soup doesn't really seem very impressive, but this soup is so bright in color and bold in flavor that people always go back for more. crispy croutons and tangy, creamy goat cheese make the deep flavors of roasted butternut squash sing. make it for a group, or store it in smaller jars in the fridge or freezer for single servings when you need something quick and delicious. 

roasted butternut squash soup
serves: 8 servings
prep time: 15 minutes
roast time: 45 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
total time: 1.5 hours
ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3lbs or 6ish cups). if you hate cutting the butternut squash yourself, you can usually find precut in your produce section and that will save you most of the prep time. 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 2 tbs brown sugar. 1tbs salt. 1 tsp pepper. 1.5 cup diced shallots (about 4 shallots). 3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped. .5 cup marsala wine. 10 medium sized sage leaves cut chiffonade style (long thin ribbons) + 2 extra for garnish. 6 cups chicken stock. seasoned croutons and goat cheese for serving. baking sheet. large heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor. 

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. for easy cleaning, line your baking sheet with parchment or aluminum. spread out your squash in an even layer and drizzle with 2 tbs of olive oil. season with half the salt and pepper and all the brown sugar and toss well till all the squash is lightly coated. 

roast for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the squash are starting to brown. 

when your squash is about 10 minutes from finishing up, heat the rest of the olive oil over medium high heat. when the oil is hot (if you drop in a shallot it should sizzle) and then add in shallots and garlic and half of the remaining salt and pepper. cook until the shallots are translucent and starting to lightly brown. let a bit of brown bits accumulate on the bottom of your pan. about 5-7 minutes. 

pour in the marsala and use the liquid to scrape up any browned bits. 

cook until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, add in the now finished butternut squash and the sage. stir till everything is well combined.

pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. about 10 minutes. allow the soup to simmer for 5-10 minutes. remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. 

use your immersion blender (get one, you will NOT regret it) or use your food processor or blender (you will likely have to do these in batches depending on the size of your tool) to completely blend the soup till smooth. 

serve soup hot topped with seasoned croutons, a dollop of goat cheese and some fresh sage. 

xo, a

roasted butternut squash soup
serves: 8 servings
prep time: 15 minutes
roast time: 45 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
total time: 1.5 hours
ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3lbs or 6ish cups). if you hate cutting the butternut squash yourself, you can usually find precut in your produce section and that will save you most of the prep time. 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 2 tbs brown sugar. 1tbs salt. 1 tsp pepper. 1.5 cup diced shallots (about 4 shallots). 3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped. .5 cup marsala wine. 10 medium sized sage leaves cut chiffonade style (long thin ribbons) + 2 extra for garnish. 6 cups chicken stock. seasoned croutons and goat cheese for serving. baking sheet. large heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor.
start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. for easy cleaning, line your baking sheet with parchment or aluminum. spread out your squash in an even layer and drizzle with 2 tbs of olive oil. season with half the salt and pepper and all the brown sugar and toss well till all the squash is lightly coated. roast for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the squash are starting to brown. when your squash is about 10 minutes from finishing up, heat the rest of the olive oil over medium high heat. when the oil is hot (if you drop in a shallot it should sizzle) and then add in shallots and garlic and half of the remaining salt and pepper. cook until the shallots are translucent and starting to lightly brown. let a bit of brown bits accumulate on the bottom of your pan. about 5-7 minutes. pour in the marsala and use the liquid to scrape up any browned bits. cook until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, add in the now finished butternut squash and the sage. stir till everything is well combined. pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. about 10 minutes. allow the soup to simmer for 5-10 minutes. remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. use your immersion blender (get one, you will NOT regret it) or use your food processor or blender (you will likely have to do these in batches depending on the size of your tool) to completely blend the soup till smooth. serve soup hot topped with seasoned croutons, a dollop of goat cheese and some fresh sage.