"Mushroom Soup" for Winter Night.

It is getting very cold. Hot soup is the best dish for Bone Chilling Winter Night.
When you go to Union Square Farmer's Market Saturday morning, you can count on "Bulich" for the freshest mushrooms. They bring us Crimini, Portobello, Oyster, Button, and Shiitake Mushrooms.
They have brown paper bags for them. You don't want to keep mushrooms in plastic bags. You must keep them in a paper bag and cool dark place, not in the fridge. 
As you know mushrooms dry out so easily, I always try to cook them within 24 hours...
But I always keep Dried Shiitake-mushrooms in the cupboard. 
For Japanese cooking Shiitake -mushrooms are crucial, both fresh and dried. 
If you go to the Japanese market you will find many kinds of Dried Shiitake-Mushrooms. Whole or sliced, large and small, many sizes of Dryed-Shitakes are available. 
You have to decide which one to get by what you are going to make in that day.

Last Saturday we bought "Crimini & Shitake Mushroom." 
And I remembered, I still had "Dried Porcini Mushrooms" from Italy.
When our friends go Italy and if they ask me what I want from there, my request is always "Dried Porcini Mushrooms."
When I cook with any kind of mushrooms, I always save the stems. 
When I've got enough of those stems in the freezer, its time for me to make the Mushroom Broth with them. That was the base of the Mushroom Soup I made last Sunday, instead of Chicken Stock. 
Making "Mushroom Soup" is a 2 day process for me. First day is "Broth Making".
In the medium-size pot, I put all the frozen Mushroom stems, Garlic, Leeks or Onions, Carrots, and Thyme. 
Thyme goes with Mushrooms very well. You all know that, don't you ?  
Finally cover them with plain Water and bring to a boil.
After simmering a few hours, the broth will become deep amber color. That is the very rich Mushroom / Vegetable Broth. Strain it, then keep it in fridge, till ready to use.
"Porchini" will be reconstituting in plain water overnight. Reserve this liquid. You are going to use it for soup along with the Vegetable Broth.
Following day I start making the Mushroom Soup. 
Chop up onions and mushrooms, and of course Garlic. Sweat chopped onions and add minced garlic then all sliced Mushrooms. When they all get soft, add Broth and Liquid from Dried-Mushrooms. Then chop up and add the reconstituted Pocini-Mushrooms. Don't forget to add some Worcestershire-Sauce, Salt and more Thyme. Cook for an hour or so. Ready for the final step !

It is time for the Blender.  Make it smooth as much as you wish for your taste.  
Add Unsweetened Nonfat Condensed Milk, cook for few minutes. Adjust taste with Salt.
It is Supper Time. We invited our friends for this Hot Soup Supper.  
My secret ingredient for soup is "Huile de pignons de pin" (pressed pine-nut oil) from "J Leblanc" on "Rue Jacob" in Paris.  Just before serving, a healthy drizzle of this Special Oil will add depth to the Mushroom-Soup. 
I made a simple salad of Watermelon-Radishes, Persian-Cucumbers, and Chinese-Cabbage. I also roasted Turnips with Olive Oil. And I quickly sautéed Rainbow-Chard with Garlic as well.
It's sounds almost like a Vegetarian Dinner, except we had "Proscuito-Bread" with the soup.