When I was a kid, the only mushrooms I’d ever eaten were canned or jarred in a tasteless brine, cut up in little bits that I occasionally tossed into tomato sauce and served over spaghetti. One night at a restaurant, I sampled my first fresh mushroom and that was it — I fell in love. I put them in scrambled eggs, tossed them into salads and, a couple of times, I just sliced them up, heated them up, and ate them in a big bowl with a dash of salt and pepper. Nothing’s better than soup on damp, chilly days and this mushroom soup is one of my favorites. Double the recipe if you like; it tastes even better the second day!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium (4 ounces) onion, diced
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons flour
1 bay leaf
kosher salt
ground black pepper

TOOLS
large (5-quart) pot, with lid
cooking spoon

METHOD
1. Combine butter, mushrooms, and onion in pot over medium heat. Cook until onion is translucent and mushrooms are lightly browned — about 5 minutes.
2. Add flour. Stir quickly until flour is lightly browned.
3. Add chicken stock and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover pan and turn heat down to low. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and slightly reduced. Discard bay leaf.

NOTES & TIPS
• Try using a combination of button and baby bella mushrooms.

READY IN
60 minutes

YIELD
3 – 4 servings