Wild Mushroom Soup with Blue Cheese Toasts

Cooking With Rania - "Winter Soup Recipes"
KDKA Pittsburgh Today Live 1/11/2012

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Wild Mushroom Soup with Blue Cheese Toasts

INGREDIENTS

For Soup:
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound fresh button mushrooms, brushed clean and coarsely chopped
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
6 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
½ pound fresh wild mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup heavy (double) cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For Blue Cheese Toasts:
20 ounces blue cheese such as Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 baguette slices, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS

To make the soup: in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, melt 1½ tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the button mushrooms, dried porcini mushrooms, stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the sliced wild mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and the mushroom liquid has evaporated, 6-8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a dish. Set aside.

Using an emersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the cream and sautéed wild mushrooms and stir to combine. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place over medium heat and reheat to serving temperature.

To make the toasts: in a small bowl, mash together the blue cheese and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the cheese onto the toasted baguette slices and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is bubbling around the edges, 30-60 seconds. Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with the chives.

To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls and float a blue cheese toast in the center of each bowl. Serve at once.

Serves 6