Are you a soup person?

I wouldn’t say that I am. I do love a good soup, but some people are much more attached to it. I’m sure you know someone that must order soup nearly every time he or she goes out to eat – or perhaps you are that person.

Daniel is a self-proclaimed soup person, and so is my best friend.

This soup makes me feel like a soup person. Ever since I made it, I have been dreaming about the leftovers of this soup. And, of course, that’s because the star of this soup is the mushroom – my favorite vegetable.

It’s a perfect example of how food doesn’t have to be fussy to be delicious. This soup is as simple as it gets; it’s onions, garlic, mushrooms, a few herbs, a touch of white wine, and broth or water. It’s amazing how just a few ingredients can create such complex flavors when they’re treated the right way.

The crème fraîche is optional, but I highly recommend it. I used to buy it myself, but it’s expensive – and I would often find myself throwing most of it away. I’ve since discovered how easy it is to make it yourself, with ingredients I always have on hand: heavy cream and either buttermilk or sour cream. And there’s just something about a little jar of a homemade condiment that excites me.

Paris Mushroom Soup

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Cookbook

Dorie recommends serving this soup over a small salad of raw mushrooms seasoned with salt, pepper, chopped chives and parsley – just the way she first had it in the French bistro, Les Papilles. This way, the heat from soup softly cooks the fresh mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to 2 months.

• 2 tablespoons butter, separated
• 1-1/2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1-1/2 pounds white mushrooms, trimmed, sliced
• 2 parsley sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water {you can also use any other combination of chicken broth and/or water to make 6 cups}
• Crème fraîche, see below to make your own

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and remaining tablespoon of the butter. Raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high; cook until almost all the liquid evaporates. Pour in the wine; let boil until almost evaporated.

Add the broth and herbs; heat to a boil. Lower the heat; cover the pot almost completely. Simmer 20 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig.

Puree the soup in small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Taste for salt and white pepper. Pour the soup back into the pot; heat over low heat until hot. Serve garnished with crème fraîche.

Homemade Crème Fraîche

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream