Mushroom Onion Soup

Once I made chicken stock, I started trying to think of ideas, other than chicken soup, to make it into a quick after work meal. Over the weekend, as I eyed up the contents of our refrigerator and longed to open up the Lucini Grand Riserva balsamic vinegar I received this summer, I decided on a rich mushroom and onion soup with a chicken stock base. After arriving home last night feeling a touch of a cold coming on, I was glad to have the pot ready and waiting in the refrigerator.

To make the soup, I started with 2 large yellow onions, cut into rings.

Then I cleaned and chopped baby bella and white mushrooms. I was hoping for something more interesting, like shitakes, but alas my Shaw’s does not carry them.

I got the mushrooms and onions started in a mix of white truffle and olive oils, and once they were sizzling and starting to cook down, I added a couple pats of Kerrygold butter in for that buttery flavor.

On a side note, I learned from Mireille Guiliano in French Women Don’t Get Fat the joys of mushrooms and onions cooked with butter with a slice of bread and a glass of Champagne. It’s a pairing that is deserving of the word epic, try it.

Once the mushrooms and onions were soft and caramelized, I deglazed the bottom of the pan with the balsamic vinegar, then poured in my homemade chicken stock.  After adding fresh thyme, pepper and (not enough) salt, I let the soup simmer on low for a few hours. At the very end, I added in a few cups of spinach I had frozen fresh, and then let it cool before packing it up.

The soup made a warm and comforting dinner after a long day, served with some 12 grain bread and goat cheese, but it could have used some more flavor. I think adding some more balsamic and herbs would have been helpful, as well as some garlic. My dream for this soup was to serve it over buttery mashed potatoes, but I was too tired to make those. I will be doing that with the leftovers

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Red White Boston event at Sonsie last night! There will be more Red White Boston events coming up, so I hope to meet more of you in the future! And don’t forget to enter the                              Bauer Howl-o-ween Bash giveaway!