Mushroom Potato Soup, Mushroom Potage ~ Teczcape-An Escape to Food

As one of the participating blogs to help create Recipe Advent Calendar, I am sharing a festive-inspired recipe today, which will be part of the calendar. Each day in December, one new yummy recipe will be unveiled. So make sure to check this calendar daily!

Not that it was my first time making Mushroom Soup but I never had it so chunky and mushroomy at home. And I was inspired to make this thick and chunky soup which is timely for this holiday season, especially when it gets cold down here in the United States.

Without brown or white crimini mushrooms that particular day, I made do with the fresh shitake and portobello mushrooms. Mushrooms, to me, is all-seasonal; and easily available where you are.

And how to make mushroom soup chunkier, and better still, a one-dish meal? Add potatoes! Nothing new, but inspired from Campbell's Mushroom Potage. That's canned and mine is not. Plus, mine is surely more fresh, natural, healthy, nutritious and delicious.
Shitake and Portobello Mushroom Potato Soup
Ingredients: 8-10 fresh shitake mushroom caps, cleaned and finely chopped; 2 fresh portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and finely chopped; 1/2 medium onion, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, finely minced; whole milk; milled flax seeds for thickening (Note: use flour to thicken if you prefer. I do not have flour in my pantry, so I use the next handy ingredient I could think of. Note1: can omit any kind of flour too as the use of potato can thicken the soup a little as well); 1 potato, cleaned, peeled and diced into bite-size cubes; salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste; mix of olive oil and butter for cooking

Directions: Heat butter and olive oil in a soup pot. Add onions, garlic and fry till onions turn soft. Add in mushrooms and allow it to reduce down in volume and become tender. Add freshly ground black pepper. Add some milk if the mixture is too dry. Pour the mixture into food blender and blend further till the mixture becomes smooth and fine (Note2: or use a hand blender to blend the mushroom in the soup pot till the mixture in the soup becomes chunky). If using food blender, pour the mushroom mixture back to the soup pot to cook, add in potatoes and simmer at low heat till potatoes are cooked. Add more milk for creaminess towards end of cooking. Stir gently and occasionally. After about 15-20 mins, salt to taste, more freshly ground black pepper to taste, turn off heat, ladle into bowls and serve.