What's on the menu tonight: Soup & salad

I love borrowing ideas from recipes and creating my own interpretation. Tonight I was craving mushroom soup. The whole idea began with a Trader Joe's impulse buy - a small bag of dried mixed mushrooms including porcini, shiitake, black and oyster.

I got out a half a dozen cookbooks and searched the Web. Most of the mushroom soup recipes I found were high in heavy cream and butter. I wanted a healthier version, but with lots of flavor. I wasn't finding a recipe to suit my needs, so finally I just went for it. And the results were fantastic.
 
I began by simmering the dried mushrooms, draining them and reserving the stock. Meanwhile, I sweated the onions, then added shallot, garlic and thyme.

Once everything was nicely browned, I added the reconstituted mushrooms and stock. I created a simple roux using a tablespoon of flour and only a half tablespoon of butter. Next I added one quarter cup of half-and-half (versus heavy whipping cream, which many of the other recipes had called for).

After tempering the mixture, I blended it, then seasoned the soup and topped it with fresh, chopped parsley. Delicious.

 

mixed greens with roasted beets,
goat cheese & bacon


I knew I wanted a salad to round out tonight's menu. So, while the soup was simmering, I roasted beets and browned some bacon. I topped mixed lettuce greens with goat cheese, then added the warm roasted beets and crumbled bacon. A drizzle of homemade dressing and dinner was served.




another lovely weeknight dinner