Shiitake & Oyster Mushroom Soup

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt together butter and olive oil in a stainless steel frying pan over medium-low heat until the mixture shimmers.

2. Add the garlic and leeks, sautéing until the leeks begin to soften (about five minutes).

3. Add the Shiitake mushrooms and Oyster mushrooms. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the entire mixture is softened and cooked through (another 10 to 15 minutes). Set a couple tablespoons aside for garnishing the soup upon serving.

4. Place the mushroom and leek mixture into your blender along with the stock, two of the bacon strips, the sour cream, parsley, and thyme. Use 2 cups of stock if you want it to be quite rich and thick; use three cups if you desire a thinner and less intense soup. Secure the lid on the container.

5. For Vitamix: Start the blender on Variable 1, ramp up to Variable 10, and run for six minutes OR use the Soup Setting. Add the cognac, and blend for 10 seconds on Variable 1 to incorporate into the soup. Salt and pepper to taste; blend for 10 seconds on Variable 1 to blend in the seasonings.

6. For BLENDTEC: Run the SOUP cycle 3 times or until there is thick steam escaping the lid. Add the cognac and pulse twice to incorporate, then season to taste with salt and pepper and pulse three more times to incorporate.

7. Pour into Bowls. Top with the remaining strip of crumbled bacon and reserved mushroom mixture and enjoy immediately!

For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use vegetable stock. For a vegan version, simply replace the sour cream with a vegan sour cream.