Mushroom Soup with Sweet Potatoes

Typically this time of year is not "soup season" however there is such an enormous selection of mushrooms in the markets right now that I had couldn't resist buying some and with the rain it seems fitting. I had full intensions of making something brilliant this week with the variety that I picked up but was entirely too busy, until today. Ava asked me to make mushroom soup and with the rain I thought it was appropriate and I'm glad I did. This soup is earthy, delicious and hearty.

I used a variety of mushrooms including baby portabella, crimini and button. This soup would be great with shiitake and chanterelles as well. Next time I make this, and I will make this soup again, I will experiment with other types. I used a medium dry sherry and it you are thinking about leaving the sherry out, do not, it adds so much flavour.

The last time I was in San Francisco they had the most amazing selection of mushrooms I had ever seen at the Ferry Building Marketplace. I am talking bins and bins of different types of mushrooms and I was dying to experiment with them all. I am so jealous of people that live in San Francisco because this market is fantastic and I the variety of fresh fruit and vegetables is incredible. Why do I live in Calgary again?

Mushrooms at the Ferry Building Marketplace in SF

Mushroom Soup with Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic

• 2 1/2 to 3 cups mixed mushrooms
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1 cup goat milk (cream would be better)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. 
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the shallot and onion. Let it cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the sherry and mushroom paste and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until they are soft. Using a hand held emersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. I left a few chunks of sweet potato remaining for texture. Add the goat milk or cream, fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper. 

The sherry I used