Cream of Mushroom Soup for CNY 2014

All these years my parents and relatives had been busy baking and cooking for Chinese New Year. However, for 2014 my camaraderies (chef brother and sister-in-law) and I decided to take over the job so that our parents could enjoy their rest. I told my chef brother many times that I liked Cream of Mushroom Soup so much. I always had to go to Fullhouse just for a bowl of that soup in order to stop the craving. So, he finally agreed to share the knowledge by guiding me in preparing the scrumptious dish. My chef brother preferred to teach me the original recipe rather than those we always had while dining at fast food restaurants. They would usually use instant mushroom soup powder or cream which is lacked of mushroom taste. Food bloggers will normally blog about the food they do not cook, but I choose to differ (although I am not a food blogger). I do not mind sharing my experience with you guys for the love of food.

The ingredients for this recipe are as followed:

Onion

Carrot

Celery

Mixed Herbs

Oyster Mushroom

Shiitake Mushroom

Chicken Stock Cube

Salt & Pepper

Whipping Cream (for cooking)

So, here are the steps. 

Melt the butter. 

Sauté the onion before adding the carrot and celery. Make sure to cook them till they become soft.

Add the mixed herbs.

Sauté. 

Add the Oyster Mushroom.

Then, the Shiitake Mushroom. Cook till they are soft and add some water.

Add in a chicken stock cube. 

Of course, some salt and pepper.

Let the soup cool down till it is lukewarm before you can blend it. 

Blending. Remember not to blend the soup for too long, you still want to maintain a little bit of the ingredients texture. 

You will have soup base after the blending. 

Heat up the cooking pot and poor the soup base into it, add some water to lessen the thickness and some whipping cream for cooking. Add more salt if necessary. Cook till it is boiling.

Lastly, it is ready to be served! 

(Perhaps you can garnish the Cream of Mushroom Soup with some croutons or anything you think would make your dish look like a fine-dining presentation. My chef brother could not believe it tasted so good although it was my first attempt. Yeah, I learn fast with hands-on things.)