Cream of Mushroom Soup with Garlic Mushroom Olive Oil and Truffle Sea Salt

It’s amazing how some things come full circle. About 7 years ago while I was working at Life and Style Weekly Magazine, a friend and I wandered into the grand opening of a grocery store. It was newly constructed with freshly stocked shelves, bouquets of organic produce and beautifully arranged gourmet olive oils, balsamic vinegars and specialty products.

While I imagine most shoppers would rush past these aisles in an effort to swiftly cross necessities off their list, I stopped in my tracks. I felt a sense of inspiration, imagination and excitement dreaming of what dishes I could create with all these options at my fingertips.

I turned to my friend and said, “I wish I could take time off work and stay home all day cooking with these oils and vinegars so I could write about food instead.”

Fast forward to when I was recently approached by Pure Mountain Olive Oil to create recipes that I would present in a live cooking demo. The reality didn’t hit me until I walked into the open space. I made my way through the store, taking in the aromas, tasting the flavors and allowing my culinary wheels to spin as I put together a menu that would compliment the components I was looking to highlight.

As I scanned the walls of infused olive oils, balsamic vinegars, fresh pastas and sea salts, I was immediately transported back to that moment I had years ago. Without even realizing it, I ended up exactly where I wanted to be.

So now, I am honored to present you with the recipes I wrote, beginning with this light, velvety, multi-textured cream of mushroom soup. I used a vegetable stock to keep the dish vegetarian and Kosher, while focusing on the star ingredients: Pure Mountain Olive Oil’s garlic mushroom olive oil and truffle sea salt.

As much as I loved the red carpet lifestyle, for me, cooking will always be way more glamorous.

Ingredients:

8 oz. sliced white button mushrooms

3.5 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms

0.5 oz. dried sliced porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons Pure Mountain Olive Oil (plus more for garnish)

2 whole shallots

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 sprigs thyme, removed from stems (plus more for garnish)

1/4 teaspoon truffle sea salt (plus more for garnish)

Instructions:

Finely chop shallots in food processor.

Add garlic mushroom olive oil to a pot and sautee shallots over medium-high heat. About 8-10 minutes, until tender.

Throw in white and shiitake mushrooms.

Saute until tender.

Add vegetable stock.

And white wine.

Toss in dried porcinis and allow them to reconstitute in the broth.

Add thyme and truffle sea salt.

Pour in cream.

And bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and remove 1 cup of soup from the pot. Pour into food processor.

Pulse until smooth.

Return processed soup to pot. This will add more texture and dimension to the dish.

Simmer for a few minutes and ladle into a bowl. Garnish with thyme, a drizzle of garlic mushroom olive oil and a pinch of truffle sea salt.

Eat and enjoy the journey you’re on!

Want to taste this for yourself? Come to my live cooking demo tomorrow evening from 7-9 at Pure Mountain Olive Oil! Tickets available here.