CARAMELIZED ONION & SHIITAKE MUSHROOM BISQUE

Caramelized Onion & Shiitake Mushroom Bisque image

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 Yellow Onions (diced)
3 cups Shiitake Mushrooms (stems removed, sliced)
1 tablespoon Garlic (minced)
4 sprigs Fresh Tyme
4 cups Vegetable Stock
8 ounces Heaby Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Dry White Wine
1 pinch Cayanne Pepper
2 tablespoons Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Sea Salt

Steps:

The most time consuming part of this dish is caramelizing the onions. If you get these going first, you can prep the other ingredients while they are cooking. Heat a dutch oven on medium low and throw in the olive oil and sliced onions. Stir to coat onions in the oil, then stir every 5 minutes or so until you get closer to the end of the caramelization process.
Remove stems from mushrooms and slice tops, remove thyme leaves from stems, and mince garlic. Set aside.
Your onions will take about 45 minutes (give or take) to caramelize. You can let them get darker than I did here. At this point, stir in minced garlic and let cook for another minute.
Pour a splash of the veggie stock in to deglaze the bottom of the pot, then add the rest of the stock. Turn heat up and bring to a boil. Turn down and let simmer for 10 minutes on medium.
Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Use either a handheld immersion blender or a regular one to blend onion mixture. Set aside.
Reheat dutch oven and melt the butter. Add mushrooms, salt, cayanne, and black pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add white wine and thyme and continue to simmer on medium for about 5-8 more minutes. Add onion mixture and bring to a boil.Reduce heat to medium low, add cream, and let simmer until it reaches the nice creamy texture of a bisque.
Garnish with croutons and fresh thyme, if desired. Enjoy!