I was hungry for my Zuppa Toscana and then found out I didn't have any sausage. You just can't have Zuppa Toscana without sausage. You can maybe pull off some zuppa, but it just won't be Toscana.
So I improvised.
And made some really terrific Mushroom Potato Soup instead. I'm warning you ahead of time that this is not a fast soup. It takes time. Time and butter. Don't skimp on either. The trick here is to let the onion and mushroom actually brown in the pans.
Yes, pans. It'll be worth it.
Robin's Mushroom Potato Soup
www.rurification.com
1 lb mushrooms, cut in half and then sliced up.
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
2 more tablespoons butter
1 tsp salt
5 small potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups of broth [I used chicken]
2 chicken bouillon cubes or the equivalent
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cream [optional]
Brown the mushrooms with 2 T butter and 1/2 tsp of the salt on medium heat in a large skillet. In a soup pot, brown the onions on medium heat in the rest of the butter and the salt. When the onions are brown, add the broth and the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender. When the mushrooms are brown, add the flour and 1 cup of the stock out of the potato pot. Stir around to make a gravy. Add the mushrooms to the rest of the soup. Stir well and simmer until it thickens a bit. Optional: If you want a creamy potato version, add 1/2 cup cream.
This is some great soup!
[Sorry about the photo quality. It's December. It's dark.]
