Healthified Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cream of mushroom soup is a staple of many recipes...but does anyone else find it a little creepy and just odd? So salt and gelatinous... and what does it even have to do with mushrooms? Tastes more like cream of MSG to me.

If you like mushrooms, do yourself a favor and try this easy homemade soup. It does have a bit of milk, which makes it not entirely 21 Day Fix compliant, but you could make it without the milk (in which case I guess it's just mushroom soup and not cream of mushroom), or you can count it as 1/2 yellow (1/4 cup per serving)... or you can decide not to count the milk since it's a smallish amount (I won't tell).

Served with cheese toast, it's hearty and satisfying... Eat up!

HEALTHIFIED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

4 slices whole wheat bread

1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese

4 tsp organic grass-fed butter

4 tsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 lb sliced mushrooms

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1/2 c white wine (optional and not Fix-approved)

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (optional)

4 c broth (vegetable or chicken; homemade is best but use low-sodium organic if store-bought)

1 c organic 2% milk (optional)

Put oven on broiler setting. Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake under broiler, watching carefully; every oven is different but it probably won't take more than five minutes. Remove when cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, in a soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for one minute, then add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence (and the wine if using).

Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms soften. If using flour, add it and cook, stirring, for one minute.

Remove from heat and add broth, stirring continuously. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for two minutes, stirring occasionally.

If using milk, whisk it into the soup, then reheat gently while stirring. Stop short of boiling the soup or the milk will curdle. Serve with cheese toast.

Makes 4 servings. Container counts per serving: 1 yellow (for bread), 1/2 blue (for cheese), 2 tsp (for butter and olive oil), 1 green (for mushrooms), and another 1/2 yellow beverage swap if you used the milk (and 1/4 yellow beverage swap if you used the wine).