This dish is similar to a cream of mushroom soup, but without the dairy. This soup is pure mushroom, with a couple of potatoes thrown in for thickening. Served with paper-thin slices of mushroom as garnish, it makes a very elegant soup.

1 1/2 pounds white or cremini mushrooms

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms, any kind

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shallot or onion

3 or 4 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced

3 tablespoons dry sherry

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce (optional)

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and few sprigs each parsley and thyme

2 medium potatoes (5 or 6 ounces total), preferably on the starchy side (such as Yukon gold), peeled and diced

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Chopped flat-leaf parsley or slivered fresh sage leaves for garnish

1. Set aside 4 medium mushrooms for garnish. Stem the remaining mushrooms, and cut the caps into quarters. Set aside the caps, and combine the stems with the dried mushrooms in a large saucepan. Add 1 1/2 quarts water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Set a strainer lined with cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or paper towels over a bowl, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all of the tasty liquid remaining in them. Season the broth to taste with salt. Discard the dried mushrooms and stems.

2. Heat the olive oil (or olive oil and butter) over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot, and add the shallots or onions. Cook, stirring, until tender -- about three minutes for shallots, five for onions. Add the garlic, and stir together for about 30 seconds. Add the quartered mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and have released a lot of juice, about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sherry and the soy sauce, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the mushroom broth, the bouquet garni and the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 1 hour. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard.

3. Working in small batches and covering the top of your blender tightly with a kitchen towel, puree the soup. Alternatively, use a hand blender to puree the soup in the pot. (You’ll get a smoother, more velvety texture if you use a blender.) Return to the pot, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you wish, stir in another tablespoon of sherry.

4. Trim the mushrooms you set aside, and slice paper-thin. Toss with the lemon juice. Serve the soup, and garnish each bowl with chopped parsley or slivered sage and sliced fresh mushrooms.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead and reheat.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/fungus-or-feast-making-room-for-mushrooms/

Mushrooms: The Flavor of the Dark

Recently I walked into my local Trader Joe’s not knowing what I was going to cook, and I came out with several 8-ounce boxes of white and cremini mushrooms. Though I didn’t know exactly what I’d make with them, I suspected that the purchase would provide me with several meals.

Mushrooms are the most versatile of ingredients, with a meaty texture and a rich, deep flavor ideal for vegetarian dishes. When raw, they’re elegant and delicious; when cooked, they become substantial. They are as welcome in a classic French omelet as they are in an Asian stir-fry.

Mushrooms also are a nutritional bargain. Two ounces of sliced white mushrooms — about a cup — contain only 15 calories, and they are among the best dietary sources of B vitamins. (I’ve written before about their nutritional attributes.) Best of all, there are just so many mushroom dishes to try. Stay tuned — there will be more of these recipes in coming weeks.

Mushroom Omelet With Chives

This savory omelet is great for dinner or for brunch. If I’m making it for two, I make one large omelet in a 10-inch pan. It’s just as easy as making two individual omelets, and both servings are ready at the same time.

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1/4 pound white or cremini mushrooms, rinsed briefly and wiped dry

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley

4 eggs

1 tablespoon minced chives

2 teaspoons low-fat milk

3 tablespoons grated Gruyère cheese

1. Trim off the ends of the mushrooms, and cut into thick slices. Heat a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the shallot, and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, two or three minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring or tossing in the pan, for a few minutes, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste and the garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Stir in the parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

2. If making individual omelets: Heat an 8-inch nonstick omelet pan over medium-high heat. Break 2 eggs into a bowl, and beat with a fork or a whisk until frothy. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and 2 teaspoons milk. Whisk in half the chives.

Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to the pan. When the pan feels hot as you hold your hand above it, pour in the eggs, scraping every last bit into the pan. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs evenly over the surface. Tilt it slightly again, and gently shake with one hand while lifting up the edges of the omelet with the spatula in your other hand so as to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.

Spread half the mushrooms down the middle of the eggs. Top with half the cheese. As soon as the eggs are set on the bottom (the top will still be runny), jerk the pan quickly away from you then back towards you so that the omelet folds over on itself. Shake in the pan for another minute if you don’t like the omelet soft on the inside; for a moist omelet, tilt the pan at once and roll out onto a plate. Keep warm in a low oven while you repeat with the remaining eggs and herbs, and serve.

3. If making 1 large omelet, heat a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Beat all 4 eggs in a bowl with the milk, salt and pepper, and the chives. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, and follow the instructions for the 2-egg omelet, pouring all of the eggs into the pan. The eggs will take longer to set, and you may want to flip the omelet in the pan again after it’s rolled, if the middle seems too runny. Roll the finished omelet onto a platter, or cut in half in the pan, and serve.

Yield: Serves two.

Advance preparation: You can make the mushroom filling (step 1) several hours ahead. It will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. Reheat before making the omelets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/health/nutrition/14recipehealth.html