Savor Soup Season with "Savor the Moment's" Mushroom and Tomato Soup with Vermouth!

Don't you just love Fall? The glorious chill in the air, wearing your favorite cashmere sweater for the first time in months, not to mention the mouth-watering culinary implications. For me, soup becomes a top priority, and apparently I'm in some very good company! After taking a little Stephanie Savors the Moment Facebook poll, it appears there are plenty of you who also share a passion for soup, with preferences ranging from Carrot Soup with Star Anise to Julia Child's Santa Barbara Fish Soup, to "Plain Old" Chicken and Vegetable - definitely my kind of crowd!

After a few weeks of cooking through the "Bread & Breakfasts" Chapter in "Savor the Moment," I am happy to be moving onto "Soups, Salads & Sandwiches" and the timing couldn't be better! I am happy to share with you the recipe for Mushroom and Tomato Soup with Vermouth (pg. 116), a deliciously creamy soup that is sure to warm you up on a chilly, Fall day. In addition to other delicious ingredients, this recipe calls for bouquet garni. "Bouquet garni" is French for "garnished bouquet" and refers to a bundle of herbs either tied together with string or enclosed in a sachet that is used to flavor soup, stock, and various stews.  The bouquet is boiled with the other ingredients, then removed prior to serving. While the herbs included can vary, the one for this recipe call for fresh parsley, thyme, oregano, basil and bay leaf.

In addition to the bouquet garni, fabulous flavor is derived from leeks, garlic, watercress and vermouth, along with great earthiness and texture from the mushrooms. The alcohol in the vermouth is eliminated during the cooking process so don't worry about getting tipsy from eating it! Otherwise, the recipe itself is pretty straightforward; however, I would advise you to be sure and hold on to the top of the blender cover while processing the hot soup or, better yet, remove the center portion of the lid and cover it with a dish towel to keep it from ending up all over your kitchen. As with most soups, the finished product gets better and better the longer it sits, although this soup it so good it probably won't last too long.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and please check out the Stephanie Savors the Moment Facebook Page and give it a "like" to take part in some fun food and wine discussions!

Bon Appétit,

Mushroom and Tomato Soup with Vermouth (pg. 116)
3 ribs celery, chopped
white portion of 1 leek, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounce mushrooms, chopped
5 cups peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup vermouth
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 bouquet garni
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped watercress
Garnish: chopped fresh chives
Saute the celery, leek ad garlic in the heated oil in  a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat for 7 minutes or until  tender. Increase the hear to high and add the chopped mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes or until light brown.
Add the tomatoes, Chicken stock, cream, vermouth, tomato paste, sugar and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bouquet garni. Process the soup in a blender until smooth. Pour into the saucepan.
Saute the sliced mushrooms in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir into the soup. Stir in the watercress and adjust the seasonings. Cook until heated through. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped chives.
Note: The bouquet garni for this recipe is made of 2 parsley sprigs, 1 thyme sprig, 1 oregano sprig, 1 basil sprig, and 1 bay leaf tied in a cheesecloth bag.
Serves eight

Calling all Vegetarians AND Carnivores: Black Bottom Soup!

Vegetarians and carnivores alike looking for something delicious to put on the table tonight – look no further! Turn to page 112 of “Savor the Moment” and make your shopping list for Black Bottom Soup. Calling for canned black beans, onion, garlic, and fresh tomato, this one pot meal is incredibly easy to make and economically savvy as well.
While the total cook time is about 2 hrs., don’t let that scare you! Only about 20 minutes is actual, hands-on prep time. The rest of the time, the pot is simmering away on the stove leaving you free to do laundry, help your children with homework, have a glass of wine – or all three. Love that multitasking!
I used Bush’s canned black beans which I drained and rinsed in a strainer easily enough. I couldn’t find anything fitting the exact description of “Cajun” tomatoes so I used the canned tomatoes with chopped green chilies and they worked out perfectly. Perhaps the ingredient that gives this dish its fabulous flavor, surprisingly enough, is the red wine vinegar. It really enhances all the other ingredients in the dish so please don’t leave it out! Instead of Tabasco, I used my latest hot sauce obsession: Frank’s Red Hot. I had it for the first time on a lobster roll at Woodman’s in Essex, MA this summer and was instantly smitten! Apparently it has quite a following and now I understand why – I could put it on my cereal it’s so good. The saffron rice called for in the recipe is a pre-packaged rice with the flavoring already added. It was very good but contains MSG, so if you are sensitive, white rice would be a great alternative.
When serving, after ladling the soup over the saffron rice, don’t forget to top it with the fresh chopped tomato, scallions and sour cream. It really gives the dish great flavor and, let’s face it, who doesn’t look for an excuse to eat sour cream. Am I right? After Steve and I finished our (second) bowls, I can honestly say, we really didn’t even miss the meat! The next morning, the soup was also delicious topped with two fried eggs (and more hot sauce) – YUM! I really look forward to making the Black Bottom Soup again - it definitely makes the Super Bowl short list as it’s also perfect for feeding a crowd. Try this versatile, affordable, delicious recipe tonight and I guarantee you will be savoring the moment too!