Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup

Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup, the most luxurious mushroom soup you will ever have, hosting creamy earthy mushroom flavor accompanied by the sweetness of the Marsala and sautéed shallots. The garnish offers nice textural notes of sautéed mushrooms and pepperiness from the parsley. More so, the paprika adds just enough of that sweet smokiness to keep us very happy! A perfect soup for the Fall and Winter seasons!

Song of the day: "La Dolce Vita" by Fedez

[This post is sponsored by Mushrooms Canada]

Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup

Truthfully I can say I was introduced to mushroom soup very late in my teens. Actually it was my brother who gave me my first taste! He was studying to be a chef in culinary school back in the early eighties and we would be his Guiney Pigs to taste all of his creations, one being a lovely creamy mixed mushroom soup. I have to say I was sold, absolutely delicious! Today I am so excited to share an Italian version of mushroom soup we call Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup. The flavor and richness will knock your socks off!

Here is what you will need to make this soup

• Cremini mushrooms
• Shallot
• Butter
• Evo oil
• Vegetable broth
• Heavy cream
• Marsala wine
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley
• Paprika
• Some all purpose or "00" flour

Kitchen equipment needed for this Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup

• Large cast soup pot
• Some bowls for ingredients
• Wooden spoon
• Blender
• Soup bowls and spoons

Getting started

Essentially, we want to flavor the pan and oil so we have a great start to infusing the mushrooms. This is how it is done:

• Firstly, drizzle the olive oil into the soup pot, toss in a dollop of butter, and the minced shallots. Turn heat to a medium setting, sauté that until shallots soften.
• Secondly, add in the sliced mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve about 50 g for garnishing. Let that sweat until mushrooms begin to caramelize.

Marsala time

The pairing of mushrooms and Marsala wine is a perfect match. The wine has this sweetness and flavor that just elevates the earthiness of the mushrooms, giving the end result such deepened flavor. Here are the next steps to this Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup:

• Pour in the Marsala and give the mushrooms and shallots a good stir as to infuse them with the flavor of the wine.
• Once that is done and the alcohol is cooked out, in goes all of the vegetable stock. Cover and let that simmer on low for some time.
• While the soup is simmering, take the reserved mushrooms and sauté them in a pan with evo oil, salt and pepper. Cook until nice and golden!

The key to getting this Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup super creamy

Our soup has simmered and is all flavored up, in goes the heavy cream, mix it in to give it some body. We need to get it super creamy, hence the name Vellutata = Velvety.

You can do this two ways, one being with a hand blender. However, I find that the hand blender does not give us that smoothness needed for this Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup. The best way is to pour all of the soup into a blender and wiz it until velvety and smooth. If it doesn't all fit, then do it in batches and pour it back into a soup pot. Now, let's thicken the soup at bit. Time to make a roux:

• First, in a small pot melt the butter, sprinkle in the flour, and whisk until it becomes pasty. Grab a ladle of the blended soup from the pot and pour it into the rue. Whisk away!
• Then, add another ladle and keep whisking until smooth.
• Turn the soup pot on a medium heat.
• Pour the roux mixture back into the cast pot of soup and bring to a low simmer. Finally, keep whisking until it begins to thicken to your liking. Turn off heat.

Final touches

Now that we have our soup nice and creamy, time to ladle it into a nice bowl. Garnish with the sautéed mushrooms, and some freshly chopped parsley, and a slight dusting of paprika. That's it!

This bowl of luxuriousness is ready to serve

What I love about cooking is the lingering aromas in the house. This soup has such a lovely aroma, especially with that Marsala. Sweet, earthy, creamy with hints of fresh parsley. Absolutely wonderful.

Let's grab our spoons and have a taste

The first thing I get is the absolute smoothness and richness of this soup. It is so delightful on the palate and the only thing I am thinking is liquid gold. I taste that sweetness of the Marsala that pairs so well with the profound flavor of the Cremini mushrooms. Those crisp sautéed mushrooms are just what's needed to entice the tastebuds a bit and the fresh parsley add a nice hit of natural pepperiness. Love the subtleness of the paprika, provides such a beautiful sweet smokiness to the mix. I could eat this soup all day long.

Thank you so much for sharing time with us and this wonderful heartwarming Vellutata di funghi al Marsala, Creamy mushroom Marsala soup.

PS: If you're a mushroom lover, check out some other delicious recipes on Mushrooms Canada.

Some of our favorite mushroom recipes on the blog are: Smooth Instant Polenta with Mushrooms; Pizza Funghi e Salsiccia (Mushroom and Sausage Pizza); Mixed Mushroom Risotto.

Buon Appetito, my friends!

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