Mushroom Bisque with Yellow Oyster Mushroom Garnish

Ludwig von Beethoven once remarked, "anyone who tells a lie has not pure heart and cannot make good soup."  So, I should be honest when I say that I don't really make a lot of soups. There are approximately two dozen recipes on this blog, but that is over several years.  Much of my cooking has been focused more on main courses, and, in particular, my interest in barbecue.

Nevertheless, I think soups are important.  For many people, a soup may be a main course. It may be the dish that is served to the family because, for whatever reason, there is not enough money to go to the market and purchase expensive ingredients, like most proteins. It is far more economical to scrounge around for or use one's money to purchase a few, cheaper ingredients. 

Yet, he use of simple, cheap ingredients can be combined together to produce something almost magical.  A dish that can nourish people, providing the sustenance or fuel for the hard work that they do, day in and day out. That is what I would like to think that the combination of mushrooms, onions, garlic, and rice can do when combined together to produce a mushroom soup. 

I found a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman on NYT Cooking, which served as the starting point for this recipe. While I could make a cucina povera version of mushroom soup, I wanted to use my creative skills to elevate the dish a little.  Those skills were primarily focused on the yellow oyster mushroom garnish. I came across the yellow fungi in a store and wanted to try to use them with this soup.  Hence, the fried mushrooms became the garnish.

MUSHROOM BISQUE WITH 
YELLOW OYSTER MUSHROOM GARNISH

Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Serves 6-8

Ingredients (for the soup):

1 1/2 pounds of  mushrooms (white or cremini) sliced 

1 leek (white and light green part only, 

     cut in half, cleaned and sliced)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup medium grain rice

4 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or broth

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 Parmagiano Reggiano rind

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

1/2 cup milk or additional stock

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the garnish)

Fresh yellow oyster mushrooms

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions:

1.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, leek and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Do not brown the onions or the leek.  Add the garlic and another pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until they begin to sweat and smell fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

2.  Cook the soup.  Add the rice, stock, bay leaf, thyme, Parmigiano Reggiano rind and soy sauce.  Salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the rind.

3.  Blend the soup.  In batches, blend the soup until smooth.  Fill the blender less than half way and cover the top with a towel pulled down tight rater than airtight with the lid because hot soup will jump and push off the top if the blender is closed airtight.  Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt, add pepper and the sherry. Add the milk and another cup of stock and heat through, stirring.  If the soup seems to thick, thin it with a little more water or stock, but check the seasoning.  

4.  Make the garnish.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with foil and place in the oven as it preheats.  Remove the oyster mushrooms from the main stem.  Toss the mushrooms in a bowl with the oil and garlic powder. Remove the baking sheet, spray with non-stick cooking spray Spread them onto the hot baking sheet so that there is one layer.  Bake in oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until all mushrooms are brown and crispy to taste.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Pour the soup into a bowl.  Add the crispy oyster mushrooms garnish in the center of the bowl.  Sprinkle the parsley around the crispy oyster mushrooms.