This soup is the perfect comfort food for a wintry day or night. Add a piece of sourdough bread topped with melted parmesan cheese and turn it into a meal.
Ingredients:
5 tbsp olive oil
6 yellow onions (1.5 lbs total weight)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 lb wild mushrooms, such as cremini, stemmed shiitake, and portobello, thinly sliced
¼ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, for garnish
Directions:
In a very large sauté pan, heat 4 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes longer.
Add the fennel to the onions and stir to combine. Continue cooking over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and caramel colored, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer the onion mixture to a large pot and add the stock. Set aside.
In the same sauté pan (no need to clean it), heat the remaining 1-tbsp oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
Add the mushroom mixture to the pot with the onion mixture and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, garnish with basil, and serve right away.
To freeze the soup, divide into several small containers for smaller portions or transfer to 1 large container and freeze for up to 6 weeks. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight, then transfer to a pot, place over medium heat, and heat until hot.
