Chicken (of the Woods) Soup For The Soul

It’s soup season! With night time temperatures creeping downward, it’s the perfect time to tuck in and make some delicious mushroom soup. Earlier this week I was lucky enough to harvest a lovely chicken of the woods, approximately 2 pounds worth.

The best part? This here recipe will work with almost any wild foraged mushroom – maitake/hen of the woods, oysters, hedgehogs, cauliflower, boletes – in addition to a wide variety of store-bought mushrooms like portabello & cremini, shiitake & king oysters, or any chef’s mix or mushroom medley available at your local supermarket.

And for my dairy-free friends, no cream or milk necessary (although, you can totally add 1/2 cup of heavy cream at the end, then blend to make the below a creamy mushroom soup recipe)! Hazzah!

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lbs of chicken of the woods mushrooms
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 leek
• 6 cups chicken soup stock
• A splash of Worcestershire sauce and extra dry Sherry

Instructions

Toss the mushrooms into a dry sautee pan, turn the heat to low and cook off any additional water. After about 4 mins, add in a pad of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Add in 1/2 onion, 1 carrot and 2 celery stalks each chopped finely. Sweat for 6 to 8 mins. Turn the heat to medium, then thinly slice and chop one leek and add it to the pan. Lightly season.

Once the white parts have turned translucent (about 5 mins), add in your choice of stock. I used my homemade stock, but store bought chicken, veggie or bone stock works too. Include a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce for depth and a few splashes of dry sherry for a sweet, warm flavor if you’ve got it! Set to simmer for 25 to 30 mins. Serve (enough for 4) and enjoy! The results are divine.

Taste this recipe at my upcoming Forage & Wild Food Picnic on October 26.

What’s your favorite wild mushroom soup recipe? Share it in the comments!