Meaty And Meatless Wild Mushroom Soup Recipe

One chilly Thanksgiving morning with the daunting specter of soon-to-arrive guests swirling through my mind, I spied a bin, pregnant with awe-inspiring clusters of silky, pale gray oyster mushrooms. The mushroom scene and the nervous-hostess timing of it all inspired the recipe for this meaty, meatless soup. Vegetarians have long exalted mushrooms for their nutrition, meaty texture, and subtle earthy flavors. I’ve loved them ever since I found two French pals, who would regularly pick fresh-from-the-forest cèpes (aka porcini) from the woods surrounding their home. On especially lucky days, they would call me and invite me over to share a simple cèpe omelet made with farm-fresh eggs and a “coup” of Blanquette de Limoux, a sparkling wine from the region. Pure, unsolicited bliss, indeed!This recipe wastes nothing, as the tough stems or “feet” from the mushrooms are used to prepare the stock that becomes the base for the soup. This is a show stopper of a first course for Thanksgiving dinner.Adapted from "Southern Farmers Market Cookbook" by Holly Herrick.