Cream of Mushroom Soup

Hello readers! I know my wishes come (very) late - but I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. The weeks after Diwali just flew by between some work related travel and my dance exam. And what went by even faster was our relaxing vacation to Jamaica for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a great week spent eating spicy curries and enjoying tropical weather. Getting back to work wasn't fun - I'm hammered with deadlines. The only comforting fact is that the holiday season just around the corner (can't believe the year is almost over)! We got back to a decked out neighborhood and a much cooler San Diego. It's nothing like the East Coast during the holiday season, but I'm finally in the mood for some winter cooking - oven working overtime and soups and stews simmering on stove tops. Today's recipe is a favorite of mine - cream of mushroom soup! This is a healthy, 'guilty-free eating before the holidays' recipe ;).

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
1 Package baby bella/brown mushrooms (roughly 2 Cups chopped)
1/4 Medium onion - finely chopped
3 Garlic cloves - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano (feel free to use rosemary or sage)
A dash of Mrs. Dash (hah!) original spice mix (or use Italian seasoning)
Paprika - to your liking
1Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 Cups milk
Water if needed
Salt to taste

• Clean and chop mushrooms finely. If you like your soup chunky, cur accordingly.
• Add a teaspoon of butter to a pan and ad the chopped garlic, onion and mushrooms. Season with the spices and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are soft (about 4-5 minutes).
• Heat a pot on the side and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the flour once butter is completely melted. Whisk continuously so the flour doesn't burn.
• Once the color of flour turns slightly dark, add milk and boil on medium-high until the milk thickens. Make sure to keep whisking so there are no lumps.
• Add the seasoned mushrooms, salt to taste, close the lid and let it simmer for a few minutes until all the flavors come together. You can add some water if the soup gets too thick and bring it to a boil again.

The soup tasted delicious with some toasted whole grains bread.