irresistibly tasty (and light) mushroom soup

i often find it hard to get back to the regular rhythm of my kitchen after thanksgiving when what we're really craving in the aftermath of the big feast and a day or two of leftovers (enough with the turkey, thank you very much) is simple, light food. by sunday i was looking for inspiration in my (slightly less crowded) refrigerator when i came across several packages of mushrooms i'd bought to make my favorite mushroom ragout as a side dish to the turkey (which i completely forgot about-ooops)-it was going to be mushroom soup, then. not a bad idea, since it's finally chilly outside, and i had a big bunch of fresh herbs left over as well. my mushroom soup recipe is not only easy to prepare but includes onlya few basic ingredients. if you feel like a more hearty soup you can add barley, potatoes, or quinoa and leave them whole (rather than blending). this soup will make your kitchen (and beyond) smell so wonderfully warm and cozy you won't be able to wait to eat it. it's simply delicious goodness in a bowl.

ingredients (4-6 servings):

• 3-4 cups chopped mushrooms (combination of crimini & white button mushrooms)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbs fresh rosemary
• 2 tbs olive oil (or butter)
• a touch of cream (2-3 tsp)
• about 5 cups (more or less) good (preferably home made) chicken or vegetable stock (see recipes: chicken, vegetarian)
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

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1. heat the oil (or butter) in a deep heavy pot (or dutch oven), then add the chopped onion and sautee on high for 3-5 minutes until softened.2. add the chopped mushrooms (rough chop is okay if you are blending the soup before serving) with salt & pepper and sautee on high until the mushrooms have reduced (and there is no liquid left). add fresh herbs, stir everything together.

3. add the broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on med/low heat for about 30 minutes (you may have to add broth as needed). for a heartier soup add barley (cook fro 45 minutes to an our), or potatoes, or quinoa (cooks quickly) *you can also add a tbs or two of flour (diluted in a small amount of cold broth or water) if you'd like the blended mushroom only soup to be thicker*

4. using an immersion blender (or pour soup carefully in to a blender) blend well. taste and adjust salt & pepper. (optionally) add cream right before serving.