Week 69: Dried Mushroom Soup

I've been wanting to make a mushroom soup for a while, and a lot of the recipes that I have run across have called for re-hydrated/dried mushrooms. My mom had a huge vat of dried mushrooms from Costco, so I went ahead and tried the recipe on the side of the container. I considered trying to make it healthier, but decided I didn't' want to change it TOO much the first time I made it. The only thing I changed was to use half and half instead of heavy cream.

Year of Yum Rating: 2 STARS

Here's the deal. The flavor was good-ish. The problem was that the mushrooms (especially the larger ones) were incredibly rubbery, and I just couldn't get over it. It's possible that I just prepared them incorrectly, but I still think I am going to find a recipe using fresh mushrooms next time. I think I also prefer soups that I don't have to chew. Does that make me lazy...?

INGREDIENTS
3 cups re-hydrated Gourmet Mushroom Blend
2 large onions, finely chopped
8 large cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 Tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
3 cups half and half
6 cups chicken broth
2-3 Tablespoons sea salt
1 stick whole butter
1/2-1 cup flour (more flour = thicker soup)
1 cups sherry

DIRECTIONS
In a large soup pot, melt the butter on medium low heat. Cook the garlic and onion until translucent. Add the re-hydrated mushrooms and cook until the moisture is mostly gone. Add the flour. Stirring often, cook for 5-7 minutes or until the flour looks and/or smells slightly toasted. Add the wine, and cook for two minutes. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for fifteen minutes. Add the fresh thyme and cream and cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve with crunchy croutons or toast.