Creamy Mushroom Soup with Fresh Herbs

AZERBAIJAN FOOD

love fresh herbs. Given a chance, I’d add them to anything I cook. I especially love stirring them in fresh or sprinkling them over cooked dishes for that nice fresh flavor and color. Just like I did in this creamy mushroom soup with herbs, which is packed with flavor from fresh cilantro. The inspiration for this soup comes from Erin’s delicious Vegetable Cheddar Soup.

In our family we have cilantro versus parsley wars. I love the taste of fresh cilantro. He can’t stand it and loves parsley instead. Kids hate both. So, when I made this soup, I split it in half before adding fresh herbs to it. One half ended up with cilantro for me, the other half with parsley for him. With that, we signed ceasefire for the time being.

This soup is very easy to make. If you prefer a real creamy soup, use heavy cream instead of whole milk. Also, I usually add carrots to the soup but last time I made it, I used corn kernels. The soup turned out great, but I found that carrots make a more delicious addition than corn. Experiment and you’ll find what pleases your palate more.

Nush Olsun! Enjoy!

MUSHROOM SOUP WITH FRESH HERBS

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded (substitute with 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels)
2 celery stalks, diced
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups stock (chicken or vegetable) or water
1 1/2 cups whole milk (or heavy cream if you want a creamier soup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, or a combination of both
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, celery, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Do not overcook as we don’t want our vegetables mushy.

2. Add the flour to the pan and stir to coat the vegetables. Gradually stir in the stock and milk. Mix to incorporate all the ingredients together. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, frequently stirring with a wooden spoon. Boil for 1-2 minutes, or until the soup has slightly thickened.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately garnished with croutons, if desired or chunks of fresh bread on the side.