Hearty Mushroom Soup

Looking for a quick recipe that tastes long-simmered?  Look no further… Into a large, heavy pot, over medium high heat, add ¼ c extra virgin olive oil (or butter) and heat until oil shimmers (or butter stops foaming).  Roughly chop 1 medium yellow onion 12 ounces Portobello mushroom caps (or baby bellas, aka criminis) Sauté onions until soft; add mushrooms.  Sauté mixture until onions are golden and mushrooms have given off all water. Turn heat to high; deglaze pan with 3/4 cup Burgundy wine (white or red) and allow to reduce by half.  Turn heat to medium; add 1 1/2 c vegetable or chicken stock 1 T fresh thyme leaves 1 bay leaf 1-2 t freshly ground black pepper Tiny pinch cayenne pepper Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender.  Add 1 c heavy whipping cream 2 green onions, chopped, green part only 2 sprigs parsley, chopped fine Salt to taste (about 1t) Bring to a simmer again.  Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup, leaving some chunks of onion and mushroom.  Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed. Makes 4 servings. This is delicious with toast dressed in extra virgin olive oil and shredded parmesan, toasted until golden.  The mushroom caps are very robustly flavored and I recommend the red wine version.  Using baby bellas lends less woodsy flavor and the white wine will not overpower the more delicate flavor.   Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Taste [rate 5] Ease [rate 4]