Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 4 cups boiling water
• 2 cups dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot 
• 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
• ⅝ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups sliced shallots (about 8 ounces)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 cup dry sherry
• 3 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shiitake, and button), sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• ⅓ cup heavy cream

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1
  Pour 2 cups of the boiling water over the porcini mushrooms. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain the porcini mushrooms in a colander over a bowl, reserving the mushroom broth; set the mushrooms aside. Strain the mushroom broth through a cheesecloth-lined colander into a bowl; discard the solids. Stir in the cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 cups boiling water into the mushroom broth; set aside.

• Step 2
  Heat the oil in a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sherry; bring to a boil, and cook 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
• Step 3
  Stir together the porcini mushrooms, broth mixture, shallot mixture, fresh mushrooms, and thyme in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until the vegetables are very tender and the flavors blend, about 4 hours. Uncover and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure the lid on the blender. Place a clean towel over the opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Return the puréed soup to the slow cooker; gently stir in the cream. Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve hot.

Tips

Multicooker Directions: Complete Step 1. In Step 2, add the oil to the inner pot of a 6-quart multicooker. With the lid off, press SAUTÉ [Normal]. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and garlic; cook uncovered, stirring often, until the shallots are soft. Carefully stir in the sherry; turn off the cooker. In Step 3, stir in the porcini mushrooms, broth mixture, fresh mushrooms, and thyme. Lock the lid; turn Pressure Valve to "Venting." Cook on SLOW COOK [More] until the vegetables are very tender and the flavors blend, about 4 hours. Turn off the cooker. Remove the lid; press SAUTÉ [Normal], and cook uncovered, stirring often, until slightly thickened. Turn off the cooker. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth as in Step 3. Return the puréed soup to the pot; gently stir in the cream. Finish Step 3.