Creamy Puréed Mushroom Soup by Nancy T. Maar
Pears contribute a lot of flavor to meat, vegetable, and fruit dishes, as well as salads.
Yields 8 servings; serving size 8 ounces
Calories: 177.19
Protein: 8.83 grams
Carbohydrates: 14.14 grams
Sugar: 6.93 grams
Fat: 10 grams
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
4 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 shallots, chopped
1 pound of mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon Splenda
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
6 cups beef broth
½ cup half-and-half
2 large pears, peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup whipping cream, whipped
Mix water with flour and combine to make a smooth paste. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Carefully mix in the next 6 ingredients one at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook for 30 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender.
Return to the soup pot. Add the half-and-half. Reduce heat to very low and sprinkle the pears around the soup. When hot, ladle into bowls.
Float spoonfuls of whipped cream on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with extra black pepper.
Cleaning Mushrooms
Do not wash or peel mushrooms. They are like sponges when it comes to water. Any bits of dirt that cling to their surface is harmless; the soil that mushrooms are grown in has been treated with thermophillic bacteria, which kills all of the “bad” germs. Just use a brush or a damp towel to brush the mushrooms off, cut off the stems, and slice them lengthwise.
