Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup

Recipe: Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup
Page: 61 and 78
Date Cooked: January 23, 2011

Being as it is freezing here in Central PA, making soup sounded like an excellent idea. The "Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup" happens to be the third soup (Butternut Squash and Jonathan Apple Soup and Mussel and Littleneck Clam Chowder) I've made from "A Great American Cook." The ingredients appeared simple and the combination was intriguing. All in all, I was looking forward to the soup.

Ingredients: Mixed mushrooms - crimini, shitake, and oyster, leeks, garlic, onion, olive oil, thyme, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, parsley, white wine, sourdough bread, and rosemary

The recipe required making a stock from the mushroom stems and dark green tops of the leeks. Accordingly, the mushroom were cleaned and stems removed; the leeks were sliced; and both the onion and garlic were minced.

Top Left: Trimmed mushrooms - caps and stems separated
Top Right: Sliced leeks, separated green tops
Bottom Left: Minced onions
Bottom Right: Minced garlic

With some olive oil, the mushroom stems, dark green leek tops, garlic, onion, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper were heated in a large pot. After a few minutes, the parsley, wine, and some water were added. The contents were brought to a simmer for 1 hour, during which foam was consistently skimmed from the top.

From Left to Right: 1. Initial ingredients for stock 2. Addition of wine, water, and parsley 3. Watching to skim foam

While I continued to watch the stock simmer, I went on to make the garlic croutons (page 78). Cubes of sourdough bread were placed in the oven and baked. Meanwhile garlic and rosemary were chopped. The croutons were placed in a bowl and sprinkled with olive oil and rosemary. Finally, the garlic was tossed in.

Garlic Croutons

After the hour, the stock was strained into another saucepan and kept warm. The diced mushrooms caps, leek whites, garlic, and olive oil were added to a Dutch oven. The ingredients were seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked till tender. The stock was then added and the soup simmered for another 30 minutes.

From Left to Right: 1. Mushroom caps, leek white, garlic, and olive oil 2. Tender mushrooms and leeks 3. Soup simmering

Additional, salt and pepper was added after tasting. The soup was then served with the garlic croutons.

Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup

Jonathan Waxman introduces the soup as a "forcefully flavored vegetarian soup" and I would have to disagree.I wanted to like this soup soo badly, I mean I skimmed foam from the stock for 1 hour. I wanted the time to be worth it. But quite honestly, it just fell flat. It had no dimension at all. It tasted fine. Just not good.

The best part of the soup were the croutons, which were quite delicious. Rosemary and garlic are both components that are near to my heart. But only when I got bits of rosemary and garlic with the crunchy texture of the croutons in my spoon (along with the soup) was a I satisfied. I re-read the recipe a couple of times after eating, trying to see if I missed something. I didn't. Unfortunately, I would have to say this soup is my least favorite recipe thus far.

Enjoy!