I know I recently posted another mushroom recipe, but as it continues to rain here, ’tis the season. Look on the bright side – when fall descends upon the lower 48, you’ll be ready to go!

1 cup of dried Shitake mushrooms (any dried mushrooms will probably do, as long as they’re flavorful and produce flavorful water after soaking. You’ll need less if they are already sliced – the ones I had were whole.)

2 c. hot water

You need to start soaking the dried mushrooms HOURS before you want to make soup, so start them in the morning before you go mushroom hunting. You want to put something on top of them – a small bowl works well – to keep the mushrooms under the water so that they completely reconstitute. You KEEP the liquid you soak them in – in fact, it is critical to the recipe, so whatever you do, don’t discard it.)

1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut up

1 small shallot, minced

1/4 tsp McCormick’s Garlic and Herb Seasoning (divided)

Dash of ground nutmeg

3 c. Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

1/4 cup Dry Sherry

1c. Half n Half

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallot until it is transparent and begins to brown. Sprinkle with half of the Garlic and Herb seasoning and the nutmeg and stir to combine. When they release their fragrances, decrease the heat slightly and add the wild mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes until they begin to dewater. Cover with a lid and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until dewatering is complete. (At this point the mushrooms can be removed from the heat and set aside and preparation for the soup can be continued later. Some wild mushrooms won’t wait even hours to be cleaned and cut and prepared, so you may need to get then sautéed immediately. You could then refrigerate the mushrooms for a day or two.)
2. Cut up the dried mushrooms, which should, by now, be completely reconstituted.
3. Place these in a food processor, along with their soaking water and the sauteed mushrooms (reserve a few for garnish if desired) and half of the vegetable broth. Process until smooth. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender, but you may need to divide the mixture into manageable batches.) Add the rest of the vegetable broth and process until blended.
4. Pour the mushroom mixture into a chef’s pan or a dutch oven. (You need to use a fairly deep pan with a lid – you can even use a stock pot if it is all you have.) Add the sherry and half and half and heat over low heat. When it begins to bubble slightly, add the rest of the Garlic and Herb seasoning and salt to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Add pepper just before serving. Garnish with reserved mushrooms. Serve immediately.

Beef is a wonderful main course with this flavorful soup, and nothing beats a filet mignon!