Creamiest Mushroom Soup Ever--without cream!

Personally, I would double this recipe because we ate it once, it was the best mushroom soup I've ever eaten, and now it’s all gone! But it's very easy to make.

The pan drippings could be omitted, I suppose, but they made it extra special. Joseph always says that I should post his recipes exactly as he makes them, including his exotic ingredients (which aren’t so exotic after you get accustomed to keeping them around and enjoying them). He says that he invents these recipes by making substitutions, and eventually anyone following his philosophy of food will do the same if they wish.

Meanwhile, I like to follow his recipes as closely as possible to mimic the extraordinary taste he achieves by doing things I would never dream of doing!

This makes a wonderful side dish or appetizer to accompany your protein course. It contains a very small amount of carbohydrate, so you’ll want more of that as well, and probably a nice green salad. -- Lianne

The Creamiest No-Cream Mushroom Soup
Serves 2

1 1/2 tablespoons ghee*
1/4 lb. (half an 8-oz. container) white mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon white rice flour
1 3/4 cups whole goat milk
1/2 cup pan drippings from an Orange Roast Chicken with Red Wine
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt
Sprinkle of ground mixed peppercorns

In a small saucepan, melt ghee over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and onion, cooking and stirring until juices are mostly evaporated. Take off heat and stir in flour until mixed.

Return to medium heat and stir in pan drippings. Add milk slowly while stirring. Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat, stirring every once in a while, as you prepare the rest of your dinner.

Once the soup boils, remove from heat and “attack it with a hand-held blender,” Joseph says, until it’s smooth.** (Alternatives: cool, blend in a conventional blender, return to pan to reheat. Or you could eat it chunky, but then it wouldn’t be a creamy soup, would it?)

Enjoy! And let us know in the comments below how yours comes out , especially if you made substitutions. We're always open to new good ideas!

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* Ghee is clarified butter and we use it for cooking over high heat because it doesn’t burn. Also because Lianne is lactose intolerant. You can find it in Whole Foods, People's Co-Op, or other health food stores, in Indian or Middle Eastern markets, and in some supermarkets. Ask for it. The millet flour is available in health food stores and some supermarkets; ours is from Arrowhead Mills. We use it to reduce the amount of wheat in our diet, and it does have a slightly different flavor.

** We own a metal-tipped, hand-held blender made by Sharper Image, which of course we bought at a good discount at a Ross store! J Here's one like it, also at a discount. We looked for a long time to avoid buying one made of plastic, so we wouldn’t be melting plastic and its estrogen-mimicking chemicals into hot dishes. If you find a metal one, please share your source in the comments section!