Portabella Mushroom Soup with a Dry Sherry Cream

This recipe is from my second cookbook “In the Kitchen with Michael Salmon” and serves 6.

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 small bay leaf

Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Sherry Cream (recipe below)

Croutons and coarsely chopped Italian parsley as garnish

Heat the canola oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sweat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced portabella mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the mushrooms begin to release their juice.
Stir in the flour and stir continually for 2 minutes. Add the dry sherry and white wine and cook for 2 minutes, using the spoon to release the flour mixture from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaf from the soup and puree the soup with either an immersion blender or a regular household blender until smooth and return it to the pan. Season with salt and white pepper and serve in a bowl with a dollop of the sherry cream, some croutons and coarsely chopped Italian parsley.

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dry sherry

Small pinch of white pepper

Large pinch of kosher salt

Place the heavy cream in a cold mixing bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff. Add the sherry, salt and white pepper and whisk to combine.