Everyday Mom's Meals: 'Tis The Season
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Friday, October 19, 2012

'Tis The Season

No, not that season. Not quite yet! (Although being the Christmas fanatic I am I can tell you there are officially 67 days until Santa will be making his appearance.) The season I am referring to is soup season. More specifically, Crock Pot soup season! During autumn there is just something about a big pot of soup cooking on the counter top all day, making the house smell amazing and having your entire family drooling by dinner time. I love knowing I can have a warm, comforting supper for them to sit down to after a cold and dreary day. And that is exactly the kind of day we were having when I made this easy yet delicious soup for the first time. I love Cream of Mushroom soup, but can't say I enjoy the canned variety much. I have no issue with canned soups and not only use them a lot in recipes, but also have no problem popping open a couple cans for a simple lunch or even supper. (We are huge tomato soup and grilled cheese fans!) But there is just something about the cream of mushroom kind that while if in another dish I am okay with, just eating it as is doesn't thrill me. So I figured why not try my hand at a homemade version, utilizing my favorite soup side kick, my Crock Pot. And I am so happy I did! This was the most amazing cream of mushroom soup I've ever had! It was creamy, smooth and packed full of mushroom flavor! Probably because unlike the condensed version, it didn't have just a few small bites of mushrooms. It had big slices of fresh mushrooms; and after cooking all day, their flavor was only more concentrated. If you love using your Crock Pot this time of year too, and are always looking for new soups to warm your stomach and soul alike on a chilly day, give this one a try tonight!

Crock Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
3 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
1 TBS butter
1 c. sour cream
2 TBS flour
1 c. half and half
Salt to taste
Lots of black pepper
Dried Parsley for garnish

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Saute until mushrooms are soft, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot and add chicken broth. Cook on LOW for 6 1/2 hours. Add flour to sour cream and stir well to combine. Add sour cream and half and half to crock pot. Whisk well. Turn heat to HIGH and cook for 30 minutes more. Garnish with extra black pepper and parsley.






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