You-Won't-Believe-How-Quick-You-Can-Make-This Mushroom Chowder

JackieOhNo!'s Note:

I think the name says it all. This makes an elegant soup course for a dinner party or holiday gathering. No one would ever guess how quick and easy it is to make.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced potato
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 (13 3/4 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• watercress, for garnish

Directions:

1. In saucepan, melt butter. Add mushrooms, onion, celery and carrot. Cook, covered, 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
2. Mix in pepper and flour. Cook 1 minute.
3. Slowly stir in broth. Bring to boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Stir in half-and-half and heat through. DO NOT BOIL. Garnish with watercress.

Reviews

[Annacia]

I have to agree with Axe. The slicing and dicing alone takes 20 mins and you have to dice small to get the veggies cooked tender in the allotted cooking time. I trimmed back the fat content by using fat free evaporated milk for the half and half and de-fatted broth. The flavor is lovely. I used Shitake's and they retained a very nice chewiness that was pleasant in the soup. I'll be making this again come Fall and Winter, it's really hearty and filling. Made for Newest Zaar Tag.

[Axe]

I'd really love to give this 4.5 stars...The flavor is GREAT for a vegetable chowder, but chopping, slicing and dicing all that stuff was not quick for me. I think maybe next time (because DW made me promise to keep making it) I will use a food processor to speed it up. Thanks for posting!