SRC Reveal: Dancing Veggies, Take 2

*My first post isn't working for me...and for others. I tried to use a different link script. Here's take two.*

It's time for the first Secret Recipe Club reveal for 2013. Woohoo! Dancing Veggies is a food blog written by Amanda whose blog focuses on recipes that are simple and quick, with ingredients that can easily be found at the local market.  She pushes herself to be more adventurous in her cooking, with both ingredients and cooking styles while focusing on seasonal ingredients. Love it!

There were sooooo many of her recipes that I wanted to try: Potato Spinach Lasagna, Sweet Potato Gratin, Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce, and so many more. But I ended up making her Cream of Mushroom Soup. It was, as promised, delicious, simple, and quick! I made a few changes - swapping fennel in place of garlic, using chicken broth instead of veggie broth, skipping the sherry, adding a splash of white wine, and  substituting heavy cream for half-and-half.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

inspired by Dancing Veggies

splash of olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced

2 C crimini mushrooms, diced

3 T white whole wheat flour

4 C organic chicken broth

1 C white wine

1 C organic heavy cream

freshly ground sea salt

freshly ground pepper

fresh herbs for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large soup pan.  Add the onion and fennel and cook until soft; add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and season to taste with herbs, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, stirring, then turn heat down and simmer covered for 10 minutes.  Pour soup into blender (or use hand immersion blender) and mix well.  Return the soup to the pan keeping over med-low heat and add the cream.  Simmer for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Like Amanda, I served mine topped with some bread on the side; I skipped the sour cream.  One of the best things about this soup is that it tastes like it was cooking all day but only takes about 40 minutes till it’s on the table. Delicious!