2 T. Butter
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp. Salt
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1/2 C. dry white wine
1 pound mushrooms, roughly sliced or chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
6 cups mushroom stock – recipe follows
2 slices bread, any kind
1/2 C. light cream
Pepper
Chopped chives, parsley, or tarragon, sliced sautéed mushrooms for garnish

Heat the butter in a soup pot until it foams; then add the onion and salt. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes to soften the onion, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, parsley, and cook 2 minutes more. Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and reduce it for another 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stew them with the onion over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, giving them a stir partway through the cooking. Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, add the bread, and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the soup cool slightly; then either briefly puree it in a blender, leaving small pieces of mushroom, or puree it longer, making a smooth, creamy soup. Heat the soup again and stir in the cream. Taste it and season with more salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the fresh herbs or crème fraîche in each bowl. I saute some sliced fresh mushrooms and add them to the soup just before serving.

Wild Mushroom Stock

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1-1/2 Tbsp. Olive oil
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped (optional)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2 inch squares
1/2 C. leek greens, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces (optional)
4-6 thyme branches or 1/4 tsp. Dried thyme
2 bay leaves
6 branches parsley, roughly chopped
3 sage leaves or large pinch dried sage
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. Salt
9 cups cold water

Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 C. hot water and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, add the vegetables, herbs, garlic, salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Next add the dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid plus the 9 cups cold water, and bring to a boil; then simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. Use it as is or return it the stove and reduce it further to intensify the flavor as much as desired. Generally it takes about 15 minutes at a slow boil to reduce the volume of liquid by 1 cup.