New Italian Recipes presents:
Italian Fennel and Mushroom Soup:
Ingredients:
2 Italian red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T raw cane sugar (turbinado) (or Splenda)
2 T dry white wine
1 T butter
2+1 T e. v. olive oil
1/4 cup dry, drinkable sherry
12-14 ounces of white or Italian crimini mushrooms, or a combination, sliced
thinly
3 shallots, minced<br>
3 fresh (good summer ones) or a14 oz. can of Italian tomatoes, diced
(blanch fresh tomatoes in boiling water for about 3 minutes, cool and remove the
skin and squeeze out the seeds through a strainer)
1 fennel bulb, halved, then very thinly sliced
2-3 cloves thinly sliced garlic
5-6 cups chicken stock
6-8 fresh basil leaves, minced
3 cups arugula (or baby spinach)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation for your stylish Fennel and Mushroom Soup:
In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil and butter over medium low heat.
Add onions and half of the fennel and toss to coat. Cover and simmer over low
heat for 10-15 minutes.
Uncover and add balsamic vinegar, sugar and wine. Turn up heat to medium high
and caramelize the onions and fennel until they are browned but not even close
to being burned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in stock pot over medium heat and add the
shallots. Sauté for about 2 minutes and add garlic and sherry, about 1 minute
more.
Add mushrooms, tomatoes and the rest of the fennel. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
Add Stock and basil. Reduce liquid by about 1/2, 15-20 minutes of simmering.
Add the arugula or spinach and remove from heat.
Add the reserved, caramelized onions and fennel, and the Italian parsley when
serving.
Also, have some nice, crusty bread of your
choice to serve with the fennel and mushroom soup. Either Italian rustic or
French goes really good with it.