The highest form of “cream of” soup starts out with cooked, pureed vegetables and pure, fresh cream. The second-best incarnation of that same soup winds up being pastier, with cornstarch as a thickener and the fresh cream replaced with cheaper fats, like vegetable oils. There’s one more way to make cream soup, though—a way in which you get the freshest, purest, least diluted taste of the vegetables. There’s no cream in this recipe—and no cornstarch, either. You still get a great creamy texture by using a lot of mushrooms and chicken broth. The key is to not let the mushroom liquor (the juice expressed by the mushrooms as they cook) evaporate, and to use a good blender to create a luxurious puree.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　One 12-ounce package sliced button mushrooms

　　1 small yellow onion, chopped fine

　　2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

　　1 can evaporated skim milk

　　

Step 1

Heat a large saucepan over high heat. When the pot is hot, spray it with cooking spray. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid and are starting to become tender, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken broth and evaporated skim milk. Cover, and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the mushrooms are completely tender, about 8 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Working in two batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot to reheat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 4

Fat: 46g (before), 0.8g (after)

　　

Step 5

Calories: 875 (before), 106 (after)

　　

Step 6

Protein: 11g

　　

Step 7

Carbohydrates: 16g

　　

Step 8

Cholesterol: 5mg

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 10

Sodium: 534mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.