Wild Mushroom with Roasted Fennel and Chestnut Soup

The Wild Mushroom with Roasted Fennel and Chestnut Soup was my choice this week for Tyler Florence Fridays because I was craving mushroom soup, mushrooms were on sale and I decided to give fresh fennel another chance.

This mushroom soup was, by far, the best mushroom soup I’ve ever tasted. Although I make mushroom soup several times a year, Tyler’s recipe with the roasted fennel and chestnuts and the addition of Thyme was outstanding! And I’m entering my soup in the Souper Soup Challenge hosted by Running with Tweezers.

Three lbs of mushrooms was just too big of a recipe for us, so I cut down the recipe. I used 1 lb white mushrooms and 1 lb Baby ‘bellas, 8 c. chicken stock and 1 large fennel bulb. I could not not find the whole chestnuts and substituted a small can of Watered Chestnuts and roasted them in the oven with a drizzle of EVOO for about 5-6 minutes, just long enough to caramelize a little. The rest of the ingredients I used as listed.

Wild Mushroom with Roasted Fennel and Chestnut Soup
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

6 small fennel bulbs, stalks removed, cut in half
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ bunch fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped from the stem
1 pound white button mushrooms, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound oyster mushrooms, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound cooked chestnuts (I used watered chestnuts)
3 quarts chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
Fresh chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast until completely tender or about 25 minutes. Let the fennel cool and cut into 1″ slices and separate. Set aside.
2. Over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt butter (I used 1 TBL butter and 2 TBL EVOO)
3. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft.
4. Add thyme, mushrooms and fennel.
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Gently heat until the mushrooms give off their liquid.
7. Add the chestnuts and saute for 2 minutes.
8. Remove a ladle of mix to use as a garnish and set aside.
9. Pour stock into the pot and bring to a boil. (Use real stock, not “broth”)
10. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
11. Using a stick blender puree the soup until smooth.
12. Add the cream and simmer until hot.
13. Add salt and pepper to taste.
14. To serve ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a little of the saved mushrooms and chestnuts and sprinkle with chives.

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Tagged as: Chestnuts, Chicken Stock, Cream, Fennel, Mushrooms, Nuts, Thyme