Cream of Mushroom With Brie Soup

I love homemade soup, and there's nothing better than homemade cream of mushroom soup. I'm always on the lookout for bargains, one of my favorite stores being the 99cent store, where I get great bargains on fruits and vegetables. Recently they had button mushrooms, crimini mushrooms and portobella mushrooms, so I bought them all. I decided to use a mushroom combo in my soup, and here's what I came up with. I ended up omitting the portobellas. I thought the taste would be too strong. I served this for dinner with a great salad and a crusty French baguette. (I priced out this recipe and it comes to about 50cents a bowl. Now that's a bargain)


Cream of Mushroom With Brie Soup

1 bunch chopped green onions
4 T. chopped shallots
1 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms (I used a combo of button and crimini)
1 T. butter
6 T. sherry
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
6 ounces brie cheese, rind removed
2 T. cornstarch (mixed with water to make a paste)
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Saute onions and shallots in butter, then add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, or until they are tender and the moisture has evaporated. Add all the liquid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add brie (cut into little chunks) and simmer 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. Add cornstarch mixture to thicken. Add seasonings to taste.

Let the soup cool for 30 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender in batches. Pulse for a few seconds, depending on your preference. I like little bits of mushroom, others like the soup purreed. Your choice. Enjoy.