Scalloped Potatoes with Wild Mushroom Soup

This past weekend I had the opportunity to cook a meal for my Dad who made a trip to London to visit. After considering what to make for a few days prior to his visit, I finally settled on scalloped potatoes because potatoes are one of my dad's favorite vegetables. This is a variation on the recipe my mom used to make — but instead of using canned mushroom soup with a bit of milk and butter, I prepared a pot of my favorite homemade wild mushroom soup the night before. The potatoes were delicious! Serve with a light dal soup, such as urad dal tomato soup, and a salad for a satisfying vegetarian meal.

Scalloped Potatoes with Wild Mushroom Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on August 20, 2007 Hot, creamy and delicious scalloped potatoes made with wild mushroom soup Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 - 4 large unpeeled potatoes, sliced 1 large onion, sliced and separated into rings 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour sea salt to taste fresh ground black pepper 2 teaspoons unsalted butter 3 to 4 cups wild mushroom soup (recipe below) Instructions: Butter a large casserole dish and preheat an oven to 350°. Layer sliced potatoes on the bottom of the casserole dish. Add a layer of sliced onion, season with salt and pepper and a dab of butter and flour, and pour a ladleful or two of mushroom soup over top. Repeat until the casserole dish is nearly full and the potatoes are used up, reserving some of the sliced onions for the top. Add the remaining slice onions on the top and finish by pouring ladlefuls of soup over top until the soup reaches to the middle of the casserole. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and bake uncovered for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Wild Mushroom Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner First published on May 12, 2007 Simple creamy wild mushroom soup loaded with full mushroom flavor Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 oz (28 g) dried wild mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 leeks, thinly sliced 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh wild or brown mushrooms 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 2/3 cups heavy cream or yogurt Instructions: Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups warm water for 30 minutes. Lift the mushrooms from the bowl, squeezing out the liquid. Reserve the soaking liquid and set aside. Finely chop the soaked mushrooms and set aside. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, shallots and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the juices start to leave the mushrooms. Pour in the stock or water and bring to a boil. Add the dried mushrooms, reserved soaking liquid, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend 3/4 of the soup in a blender or use a hand blender to blend a portion of the soup. Return the processed soup to the pan and stir in the cream or yogurt. Simmer for a few minutes more. Check the seasonings and add more water if necessary. Serve hot or let cool and reheat before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings