If chicken soup can be regal, then this one is. Sophisticated ingredients-sundried tomatoes and oyster and cremini mushrooms, plus porcini mushroom oil-make this especially flavorful. The porcini mushroom oil is a must; it lends a singular, concentrated flavor. There is no substitute. Look for it in specialty food stores and after opening, store it in the refrigerator. (Once you have a bottle, you will find other ways of using it.)
This makes a special Sunday lunch or early supper on a cool fall or winter weekend, served with a bottle of crisp white wine and Caesar Salad. It can be made in advance up to the addition of the porcini oil, which happens right before serving.
Course Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword Soup
Prep Time 25 minutesmins
Cook Time 45 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Servings 6
Ingredients
½cupsun-dried tomatoesnot packed in oil
1cuphot water
6cupschicken broth
2whole chicken breastsskinned and boned, 1 ½ to 2 pounds
4medium shallots
2thin medium carrots
1poundfresh oyster mushrooms
1poundcremini mushrooms
¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
1tablespoonsalt
1teaspooncrumbled dried rosemary
1teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1teaspoonporcini mushroom oil
Instructions
Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the hot water and let them soak while you make the soup.
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and bring the broth to a boil again. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let stand off the heat until ready to use.
Peel and chop the shallots. Peel and slice the carrots. Trim and wash both kinds of mushrooms and thinly slice.
In a large, heavy saucepan, sauté the shallots in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring, until translucent. Add the carrots, mushrooms, and salt and sauté until the mushrooms release their juices. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the juices have almost entirely evaporated.
Remove the chicken from the broth. Add the broth, rosemary, thyme, and pepper to the mushroom mixture and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts into long, thin slices, removing any cartilage. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and cut into thin strips.
Add the chicken and tomatoes to the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the porcini oil and turn off the heat. Correct the seasonings and serve immediately, with additional porcini oil, if desired.