Golden Chanterelle Soup with Toasted Almonds and Sherry

Makes 10 to 12 servings; Time: prep – 5 mins, cook – 42 mins, finish – 3 mins

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onions, chopped
1/3 cup sliced (1/4” thick) shallots
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, white part only, sliced into ¼” thick slices (about 1 1/4 cups)
3 cups thinly sliced fresh chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 ¼ lbs total), peeled, cut into 1” cubes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 large fresh thyme sprig
1 large fresh Italian parsley sprig
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram sprig (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh chervil (optional)
½ cup whipping cream
Dry sherry
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
fresh, chopped marjoram as garnish
fresh, chopped chervil as garnish

Directions
• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat.
• Add onion, leeks, shallots and celery, sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add all mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring often, 7 minutes.
• Make a sachet of the herbs.
• Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.  Add potatoes cook for 2 to 4 minutes.
• Add 6 cups broth and herb sachet.  Bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 20 minutes.
• Discard herbs. Cool slightly.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Return soup to pot through a sieve.
• Add cream and bring to simmer, adding more broth by ¼ cupfuls if too thick.  Season with ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Do ahead – Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and chill.  Rewarm before continuing.

Divide soup among bowls.  Drizzle with dry Sherry, sprinkle with sliced almonds, garnish with chopped fresh marjoram and chervil, and serve. 

[Test kitchen tip: Dried chanterelles can be used in this recipe.  Place 2 ounces dried chanterelle mushrooms in a large bowl.  Add enough boiling water to cover mushrooms.  Let stand 30 minutes.  Transfer mushrooms to work surface and coarsely chop.  For more flavor, combine the tasty mushroom soaking liquid with enough chicken broth to measure the 6 cups called for in the recipe.]

Bon Appetit, September 2007, pg. 60 – 62
“Potato soup with mushrooms and marjoram”, CIA Book of Soups, Pg 126
“Potato Leek Soup”, Bouchon, Pg. 56