Mushroom Soup "Cappuccino" with Truffle Foam

I am a mushroom lover. I consider mushrooms a gift to cooking, enhancing meatless dishes while adding earthy complexity and unique textures. In my family mushrooms were always served on the side since two people (who shall remain nameless) thought they were vile and inedible. After suppressing my love for fungi for years I decided that whomever I married needed to appreciate the beauty of mushrooms. Happily Mr. B fit the bill and for the past several years I've been able to cook mushrooms like a wild woman!

This recipe for a Mushroom soup "cappuccino" came across my path when I traveled to Houston last Fall. One of the benefits of traveling frequently for work is that I usually can find a few exciting restaurants to try while on the road. Voice in Hotel Icon caught my eye because of Chef Michael Kramer's commitment to use local and seasonal ingredients. The recipe for this soup was posted online and it sounded marvelous. I couldn't resist giving it a try. The entire meal was excellent- I would definitely recommend Voice if you ever find yourself in Houston- and not surprisingly, the soup was my favorite part. I couldn't wait to try making it at home.

The original soup at Voice Restaurant
(Please pardon my cell phone camera!)

Speaking with the waiter I learned that the soup was made with a homemade veal stock and fresh porcini mushrooms. This is a bit different than the recipe posted online so I attempted to adapt it accordingly. Unfortunately a trip to several grocery stores confirmed that (surprise!) veal bones and fresh porcini mushrooms do not exist around here. I ended up using a tablespoon of veal demi-glace from Williams Sonoma along with a combination of crimini and portabello mushrooms. The resulting soup was absolutely delicious and would make a beautiful and whimsical starting course. Of course it did not *quite* achieve the heights of flavor in my memory but I suppose that is what keeps restaurants in business. If you are lucky enough have access to quality veal stock and fresh porcini than I would recommend using those and you may encounter mushroom nirvana in a cup!

Stove Top Step-by-Step

Mushroom Soup "Cappuccino" with Truffle Foam
Adapted from Voice Restaurant in Houston, TX
Serves 10-12 (This makes a lot - you could easily halve the recipe)

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Large onions, 1/2" dice
3 lbs Mushrooms and scraps (crimini, portabello, porcini)
3 Tablespoons Garlic chopped
2 Cups white wine
4-5 Cups Veal Stock (or Chicken stock with 1 Tablespoon Veal demi-glace)
3 Cups Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Add oil to a large saucepot over medium heat, and warm until hot.

Add onions and lightly caramelize. Next add mushroom scrap and sweat thoroughly by cooking over medium heat covered, about 5 minutes. The volume of mushrooms will reduce considerably. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, and then add white wine.

Simmer to reduce wine by 75% and then add enough veal stock to cover mixture by about a 1/2". Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add cream, and simmer another 5 minutes.

In a small batches blend soup with blender or hand blender until smooth. Strain through a medium strainer.

Truffle Foam

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Truffle oil
1/2 Cup Whipping cream
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:
For truffle foam, mix truffle oil and cold whipping cream. Mix until peaks are stiff. Season with salt. Place a dollop of cream on top of hot soup. Garnish with grated dried mushroom if desired.