Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 4 tablespoons butter 
• 900 g cremini mushrooms cleaned sliced roughly chopped (or button)
• 1 handful of shiitake mushrooms chopped ()
• 0.8 cup shallots minced (6 ounces, 170 g)
• 3 teaspoons garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 0.8 teaspoon tarragon dried
• 1 liter chicken stock see for vegetarian option (or vegetable stock )
• 120 ml heavy cream 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground to taste (more or less )

Equipment

• whisk
• pot
• blender
• immersion blender

Directions

1. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a 5-6 quart thick-bottomed pot. When the oil is hot, swirl in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms, stir to coat with the olive oil and butter.
2. Cook the mushrooms on medium high heat until they are lightly browned and have released most of their water, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove 1 cup of the cooked mushrooms from the pot and set aside (they will be added back in later).
4. Add shallots, garlic: Reduce heat to medium.
5. Add the minced shallots and the garlic to the pot, stir to combine, cook for about a minute.
6. Add the salt, dried tarragon, and the stock to the pot. Increase the heat to medium high, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. soup: Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a standing blender, purée the soup until smooth.
9. Then return to the pot. (If the soup is too thick for you, add some water or more stock to thin the soup to the desired level of thickness.)
10. Whisk the cream into the soup and add the black pepper. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the reserved cooked mushrooms.