Cream Of Mushroom

Cream Of Mushroom 

Ingredients 

1. Mushrooms chopped 2 cups

2. Onions finely chopped 1/2 cup

3. Garlic 1/4 cup thinly sliced or finely chopped

4. Salt to taste 

5. Pepper 2 tsp

6. Corn starch 21/2 tsp dissolved in some cold water

7. Milk 3 cups

8. Vegetable or chicken stock 1/2 cup

9. Heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup

10. Butter 11/2 tbsp

Method Of Preparation 

1. Wash the mushrooms well & chop it.

2. In a heavy bottomed skillet, add butter. When it's hot, add garlic. When it changes color, add the onions & sauté till it turns translucent.

3. Add the chopped mushrooms & salt & pepper & cook on a medium-low flame till the water released from the mushrooms almost dries out.

4. Add milk & broth to the cooked mushrooms & stir till it begins to boil. 

5. Now add the corn starch dissolved in water & stir well for a few seconds so that it doesn't form any lumps in the soup. 

6. Add the fresh cream & when it begins to boil, turn off the flame. 

7. Serve hot with bread sticks/crackers.

Notes: 

1. The quantity of milk, cream & broth given above is what I used & how I like it. You may add or reduce the quantity as per your taste.

2. Instead of cream, you may also add cheddar cheese to the soup & let it cook till the cheese completely melts & top it with some more grated cheddar & serve.

3. like my soup to be nice & garlicky, hence add a lot of garlic. You may always reduce the quantity. I have thinly sliced them but you can even chop them into fine pieces if you want to.

4. You can skip the addition of cream if you don't want the soup to be very heavy, instead you may add some more milk.

5. I didn't add too much corn starch as the cream itself would make the soup thick when cooled, if you want it thicker or if your not going to add cream, then you may add more cornstarch.

6. You need to let the water released from the mushroom evaporate before you add the milk, otherwise the soup will not taste good.

7. If you do not have broth, then you may add just water. If you want your soup to be more creamy, then skip water & just add only milk.

8. Add more pepper if you want to make it more peppery.  You may sprinkle some pepper at the time of serving.

Cream Of Broccoli

Cream Of Broccoli

Ingredients

1. Broccoli 2 cups

2. Onion 1/2 finely chopped medium sized

3. Garlic 1/4 cup thinly sliced or finely chopped

4. Corn starch 3/4 tbsp 

5. Vegetable/Chicken broth 21/2 - 3 cups

6. Milk 1/2 - 3/4 cup depending on how creamy you want your soup to be

7. Fresh cream 3-4 tbsp depending on how creamy you want your soup to be

8. Butter 1 tbsp

9. Salt

10. Pepper 1 tsp 

Method Of Preparation

1. Chop the broccoli florets & stems into very fine pieces & keep it aside. Chop the onions & slice the garlic as well & set them aside.

2. In a hot pan, add butter. Add the garlic & sauté till it changes color, then add the onions & sauté till it turns translucent.

3. Add the finely chopped broccoli & salt & pepper & sauté for a few seconds.

4. Then add the vegetable/chicken broth & bring to a boil, then lower the flame & cover & cook for 5-7 minutes or till the broccoli becomes tender.

5. After 5-7 minutes, add the milk & keep stirring till it starts to boil.

6. Then add the corn starch dissolved in water. Keep stirring this for a few seconds.

7. Now add fresh cream & let it cook till it is begins to boil. Turn off the flame.

8. Serve hot  with bread sticks/crackers

Notes: 

1. The quantity of milk, cream & broth given above is what I used & how I like it. You may add or reduce the quantity as per ur taste.

2. After the fourth stage of adding the broth &  cooking the florets, u can blend the mixture to a smooth paste if u don't like to bite into your soup. 

3. You can even freeze the broth upto 2 months & then thaw it in a refrigerator over night & re heat it on medium flame the next day.

4. Instead of cream, you may also add cheddar cheese to the soup & let it cook till the cheese completely melts & top it with some grated cheddar & serve.

5. I like my soup to be nice & garlicky, hence add a lot of garlic. You may always reduce the quantity. I have thinly sliced them but you can even chop them into fine pieces if you want to.

6. You can skip the addition of cream if you don't want the soup to be very heavy, instead you may add some more milk.

7. I didn't add too much corn starch as the cream itself would make the soup thick when cooled, if you want it thicker or if your not going to add cream, then you may add more corn starch.

8. You can add or reduce the quantity of broth & milk. If you want the soup to be really thick, then you can close the broth & cook till the broccoli turns tender & then open & cook for a while till the broth reduces to whatever quantity u want it to reduce to. In that way, ur soup will be really thick & creamy.

9. Add more pepper if you want it more spicy. I add 1/4 tsp more while serving.

10. I like my soup nice & creamy so I add a lot of milk & cream & less broth