The Lush Chef

Libations used: 1 cup of red wine...
Libations left over: Pretty much the whole bottle, so serve with dinner...
My parents love going wine tasting up north in Michigan near Traverse City.  They were up there this past weekend for an event where some of the wineries along the peninsula were pairing their wines with food.  They were raving about a Cream of Mushroom & Herb Soup they had Brys Estate that uses some of their Pinot Noir.  This is a quick and light-tasting cream of mushroom soup, as it uses a lot of stock and a cup of red wine.  I had half a bottle of Tablas Creek's Patelin de Tablas (a blend of Syrah, Grenache & Mourvedre) left over, so I poured that in with the mushrooms.  This is the perfect soup to whip up on a weekday night as those mushrooms cook up fast.

Cream of Mushroom & Herb Soup - serves 6
Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Three 8 oz containers of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup Pinot Noir (I used Tablas Creek's Patelin de Tablas blend)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/2 tsp salt (you may use less, depending on how salty the broth is)
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

- In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter and melt.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the flour and continue to stir and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.
- Add the chicken stock and herbs.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then let it simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Using a blender, purée the soup.
- Add it back to the pot and stir in the cream, adding salt and pepper, to taste.