Mushroom-Potato Soup with Smoked Paprika
Why I Love This Recipe
The smoked paprika in this is wonderful. I used one package of dried porcinis and then only added 1 1/2 cups of water to the soup (instead of 2). I also omitted the salt - it's plenty flavorful without it.
Ingredients You'll Need
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds fresh button mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 tbsp. sour cream
Directions
In a small bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over dried porcini. Set aside.
Cut off stems of button mushrooms. Finely chop stems; set aside. Halve caps, slice, and add to stems. With a slotted spoon, lift out porcini, pressing excess liquid into bowl, and transfer to a cutting board. Finely chop porcini and add to stems and caps. Reserve soaking liquid.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add onion and salt. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add pancetta and cook until onions look a bit creamy, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and cook until very fragrant, 2 minutes. Turn heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms start giving off their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add reserved porcini soaking liquid (pouring carefully to leave behind the sandy dregs), chicken broth, 2 cups water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
