Senior Editor
Not so much seasonal, mushroom soup is always fun and not so easy to make, not without bending lots of rules. This one was a success so we will be passing it on.
The result will be a ten buck a cup truffle soup (no truffles) that will outshine the restaurant crap
If you actually have a truffle…all the better…
Ingredients:
Marsala wine or equivalent (sherry)
Shallots or an onion
2 cloves of garlic
Celery
Olive oil (I am using Chilean but any crap will work)
Butter
Pepper
Salt (Truffle salt if you have it)
Trader Joes Black Truffle and Mushroom Sauce (the real flavor)
Truffle powder if you have it
Dried Shitake mushrooms (dirt cheap from Oriental store)
Premium soy sauce (Green Mountain or equal)
Heavy cream or premium sour cream (as finish)
Fresh mushrooms
Chicken stock (Kitchen Basics from Walmart or what have you)
Begin by fine chopping 1/3rd cup red onion/shallot or whatever
One stalk of celery, diced same as onion
Slice two cloves of garlic (fresh only)
Sauce pan, with butter (1 cubic inch) and around half a tablespoon of olive oil
Simmer until onions are lightly colored…low heat…10 real minutes, not like they tell you on tv.
Add stock, start with 16 oz
Break up around a cup (2 large handfuls will do) of dried shitake. They will remain like rubber until at least 25 minutes simmering…not like they tell you on tv.
10 minutes in, add two very expensive tablespoons of truffle sauce
add the rest of the stock now
Then add 1/3rd cup marsala
More butter…
continue simmering…test the shitake’s
Add truffle powder, full teaspoon (optional….”truffle powder” is really powdered mushrooms with fake flavoring)
begin adding salt to taste…truffle salt (cheap on Amazon) if you have it
Now add 1 cup of chopped fresh mushrooms…they will disappear…
pepper to taste
one tablespoon Green Mountain sauce (soy sauce…only the best)
cover and let stand until ready to serve…
then add 1 cup sliced mushrooms….while hot but not simmering and cover
then stir in heavy cream…4 oz or more to taste… and warm for serving…making sure you do not cook the last batch of added mushrooms…
finish with butter…
for garnish….try lime and cilantro and optional fresh cracked black pepper
serve
Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.
Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.
Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.
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Generally speaking, I find things are about half the price in Russia (and I am not talking about things in the small villages) than in UK. And, of course people back home don’t believe me. The ones who have never been to Russia think there are tanks and barbed wire on every street corner. How travel broadens the mind.
And the cost of diesel fuel, well I won’t even try to tell you.
Looks great, some wild mushrooms don’t like the etoh so much. But butter and garlic, yea buddy!
That’s cool, Mr. Duff! I love cooking. And I like mushrooms. Of course, I can’t afford to buy real and expensive truffles, but we have lots of wild forest good mushrooms in my country.
You might be able to do this without delving into the chemical bin like I do! Basics of recipe adapt well but with real mushrooms, yours will be more authentic.
After reading that recipe, $10 seems like a steal. It’s nice to see people do stuff.
Andy the Rus are famous mushroom foragers. Get with the program brother. It’s walking in the woods with a purpose. Good exercise and a chance to meet good friends. Spacibo!
@Harry Haller (my friend 😄) :
I live in the North Caucasus and our forests are mainly in the mountains. There people gather mushrooms: porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, etc. They are very tasty and have an organic forest aroma. If it is not possible to go to the mountains, you can buy oyster mushrooms or champignons at the store for $ 1 for 2 pounds. But they don’t have a distinct taste. I like to cook julienne from champignons with cheese.
Gosh, 2 pounds for a dollar, that’s fabulous.
@Jim Dean:
Yes, Jim, prices for food and services in Russia are much cheaper. Especially for Americans when we compare our salaries. A month ago, I photographed the shelves of English beer in a store in Moscow and sent them to Ian Greenhalgh. He said that even they don’t have that many kinds in stores in England 😁
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