It wasn’t cold last week when I made this; I just wanted to slurp on homemade soup.  I had a package of portobello mushrooms that needed my attention before they spoiled.  Roasting the mushrooms brings out a rich and scrumptious taste.

Homemade soup does not need a recipe.  Yes, you read that correctly. Think of the veggies you like or whatever is in your fridge that needs to be used.  I always have on hand chicken stock, beef stock or coconut water. Cook the veggies for a couple of minutes then add liquid and cook until tender.  Purée to desired consistency.  When you add aromatics such as onion, garlic or leeks, they are the base for flavor and add depth. Expand on aromatics to include ginger, cilantro, star anise, Chinese five-spice, cumin, saffron, cinnamon, lemongrass. For an infographic on how to use aromatics, click here.  Don’t worry if you don’t have stock on hand, just add water.  For other soup recipes, search my blog or click here for one to get you started.

portobello mushrooms
6 to 8 cloves of garlic (skin removed & smashed)
fresh rosemary
bottle lager beer
beef stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400f (200c).

Clean mushrooms with a paper towel and remove stems.  Using a small spoon, gently scrape out the gills.  If you leave the gills on they will turn black when cooked and this juice will discolor anything you serve it with.  Another reason to remove the gills is that sometimes it’s the place where dirt can hide and no one wants to eat to dirt!  By the way, if the gills are soft or feel wet, they’re coming to the end of their life.  On a large rimmed baking tray add mushrooms, garlic and rosemary sprigs.  Season tops with s&p and add a splash of olive oil.  Pour half the bottle of beer around the portobellos.  Roast 20 minutes or until mushrooms have softened.  At the 10-minute mark, gently flip the mushrooms and move around to soak up the liquid.  Flip back over and continue cooking for the remaining 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and roughly chop.  The beer should have reduced by half and will become slightly thicker.  I used less beer and ended up scraping what was left. Place chopped mushrooms in a pot over medium heat and add the roasted garlic along with any sauce.  Cover with the stock at least an inch over the mushrooms.  Bring stock to a gentle boil; remove from heat.  Use a hand immersion blender and purée.  If you find the soup is too thick, add more stock.  Season to taste, stir in about a tablespoon of lemon juice and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil.  Use truffle oil if you want more of an earthy tone.  Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  Mushrooms should keep up to 7 days in the fridge if they’re in a paper bag.  Plastic shortens the lifespan of the portobello not to mention makes them slimy.