Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is my favorite soup. For reals. It's not like that stuff from the can though, I swear. That canned soup is almost tasteless, with teeny bits of mushroom. And its weird clumpy texture is simply unnerving. That stuff should only be used in casseroles and the like, not for actual soup-like consumption.

Homemade cream of mushroom soup, though? That is a very different story altogether. Like macaroni and cheese, everyone should try to make this for themselves at least once. The mushroom flavor in the soup is to die for, and what I like about this particular recipe is that the turkey makes it a bit more filling. It's thick and chunky and the broth so creamy, just all-around wonderful. The perfect autumn comfort food.

I will warn you: I got this recipe as a hand-me-down from an old friend. The recipe included no measurements, just a list of ingredients and instructions for cooking. The intent was that you could make it however you preferred - add all the mushrooms you want, make it as thick or thin as you desire. Very organic. I've given measurements below, but feel free to experiment to your own liking. Have fun! Enjoy! And you must try this one, I mean it. One of the absolute favorites in my worn rusty recipe box.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. ground turkey

1 c. flour

Lots of portabella mushrooms, cut into chunks*

Lots of button mushrooms, cut into chunks*

Lots of other mushrooms you love, cut into chunks*

* Okay, to be fair: you'll need about a pound or so of mushroom chunks total

About 4-6 c. milk, stock, or half-n-half (depending on the flavor/healthiness/thickness you want)

Salt and ground pepper

Add the butter to a large heavy pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to the melted butter, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and brown. Add flour and make the mixture thick, get that flour mixed into the turkey really well (you'll have a thick, sticky, lumpy mass on your hands. That is fine, it's what you want).

Add mushrooms and cook for awhile, until juices and flavor are released (about 15 minutes). Slowly add your liquid of choice (milk/broth/half-n-half). Cook until thickened as desired while on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup is perfect with ciabatta or a thick slice of crusty bread!