Mushroom Soup With Spinach Threads

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 leeks, part only, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, halved
• 2 lbs fresh mushrooms, chopped (reserve 8 uniform sized mushrooms)
• 2 teaspoons fresh summer savory, chopped (or generous 1 1/2 t. dried summer savory, crumbled)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/3 cup amontillado sherry wine
• 9 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 baby spinach leaves, stemmed and cut into fine shreds

Recipe

• 1 melt butter in heavy 5-quart saucepan over low heat.
• 2 add leeks, onions and garlic; cover and cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 3 stir in chopped mushrooms, savory and oregano.
• 4 increase heat to medium and cook until mushrooms render their liquid.
• 5 reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 6 blend in sherry and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• 7 add stock, tomato paste, and bay leaf; bring to a boil.
• 8 cover and simmer until richly flavored, about 45 minutes.
• 9 strain soup through a sieve,pressing on vegetables with spoon to extract all liquid; cool.
• 10 *soup can be prepared several days ahead and refrigerated.
• 11 just before serving, degrease soup.
• 12 bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper.
• 13 stir in spinach and reserved whole mushrooms.
• 14 serve immediately, serving one whole mushroom per bowl.