Cream of Mushroom Soup for One

I love soup. I love it with chunks and I love it smooth, I love it both cold and hot, and I love it clear and I love it creamy. The earthy flavor of this quick little soup will have you dancing with joy, too!

The Vegetables:

Slosh of olive oil

¼ medium onion, chopped

½ stalk of celery, chopped

½ carrot, chopped

The Mushrooms:

1 ½ cups button mushrooms (or a mixture of mushrooms), cleaned, stems removed, and quartered

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of dried sage

½ TBLSP all-purpose flour (you can use cornstarch for gluten-free, or just leave this out)

The Broth:

1 cup water or veggie broth

2 ½ TBLSP vegan sour cream

The Garnishes:

Whole or sliced button mushrooms

Chopped chives or green onion

1. In a stock pot or deep saucepan, sauté the onions, celery, and carrots in the oil until they begin to soften.
2. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften and brown. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too soft and mushy, though. You want them to retain some texture. Add in the salt, pepper, and sage before they’re entirely done, just long enough for the sage to infuse everything with flavor.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the flour is cooked a bit and whatever juices are in the pan start to thicken. If there aren’t any juices, slosh in a little water (maybe a teaspoon or so).
4. Add the water or veggie stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• If you want a smoother soup, hit the soup with an immersion blender or transfer slightly cooled soup to a blender or food processor and give it a whirl. Put it back in the pan (if necessary) after this step.
5. Add in the sour cream and stir until it’s all bended and creamy.
6. Add in the whole or sliced garnish mushrooms so that they have a chance to heat through. You might save a couple for making it pretty later if you don’t mind raw mushrooms.
7. Garnish with chives and any remaining mushrooms, and serve.