Mushroom Chowder

Well, yesterday marked the official last day of summer, but you know what, I think I'm okay with that. I like the fall, wearing sweaters, drinking tea and cooking all of those great wintery comfort foods.

I had all these mushrooms in my fridge, in plastic, and no brown bags in site. Knowing that they wouldn't last, I decided to make a mushroom soup for dinner. I adapted this recipe to use what I had on hand, and it was great, that night, and for lunch for a couple of days too.

Mushroom Chowder (adapted from The Best of Bridge)

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup sliced onions

- 1/2 cup diced carrots

- 3 cups chopped mushrooms (I used portobello's, crimini and white mushrooms)

- 3 cups vegetable broth

- 2 cups light cream

- 1/2 cup diced potatoes

- 1/4 cup frozen corn niblets

- 1/2 apple, peeled & diced

- 2 bay leaves

- 3 tbsp red wine

- 2 tbsp chopped parsley

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it is surprisingly quick and easy to make, just prep all the ingredients before hand and it's a breeze.

In large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil and saute garlic, onions, carrots and mushrooms for about 5-8 minutes, being careful not to brown.

Add broth and cream to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add potatoes, corn, apple, bay leaves, wine and parsley to soup. Simmer about 1/2 hour. Remove bay leaves, season and serve.