Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Soup
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
2 C. boiling water
8 oz. orzo pasta
2 T. each: olive oil, butter
2 yellow onions, halved, thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. fresh or 2 t. dried thyme leaves
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, thinly sliced
2 T. Madeira wine or dry sherry
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) each: low-sodium beef broth, low-sodium chicken broth
4 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t. ground red pepper
Place porcini in bowl. Cover with boiling water; let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove porcini, reserving liquid. Dice mushrooms; set aside. Strain liquid using fine mesh strainer; discard grit. Set aside.
Place orzo in large stockpot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until light golden, about 6 minutes. Add enough water to cover by three inches. Heat to a boil; cook until orzo is just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Heat olive oil and butter in same stockpot over low heat. Add onions, garlic and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add Madeira; cook 1 minute. Add porcini, strained liquid, beef and chicken broth. Heat to simmer; reduce liquid by 1/4, about 5 minutes. Add orzo; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt, black and red pepper.
Leave a Reply