WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH VEGETABLE CONFETTI

Wild Mushroom Soup with Vegetable Confetti image

Yield 4 First-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

For chicken stock
2 medium leeks, ends trimmed
4 pounds chicken wings, rinsed
3 quarts plus 3 cups cold water
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 fresh thyme sprigs
12 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
For wild mushroom soup:
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
15 ounces assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as crimini, chanterelle, oyster, morel and stemmed shiitake), sliced
6 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1/3 cup finely diced peeled carrot
1/3 cup finely diced peeled turnip
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Steps:

Cut off dark green tops from leeks and reserve for soup. Cut white and pale green sections lengthwise in half. Rinse any dirt from leeks with cold water. Cut halves into 1-inch pieces. Place in 8- to 10-quart pot. Add chicken wings.
Add water, carrots, onion, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaves to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 2 hours 15 minutes, occasionally skimming foam from surface. Strain stock through fine sieve into large bowl.
Chill stock until fat hardens on surface, about 2 hours. Spoon off fat and discard. Measure stock. If necessary, simmer in large saucepan until reduced to 8 cups. (Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)
To make wild mushroom soup:
Bring 1/2 cup stock to simmer in saucepan. Add saffron; set aside to steep.
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic; stir 1 minute. Add 1/3 of wild mushrooms and all of white mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms release liquid, about 8 minutes. Add curry powder; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Add saffron mixture and 6 cups stock. Simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Puree cooked mushrooms and 1 cup mushroom broth in processor until almost smooth. Return mushroom puree to saucepan with broth. Simmer soup 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover soup loosely with foil and refrigerate.)
Finely dice enough of green leek tops reserved from stock to measure 1/3 cup. Cook leek, carrot and turnip in saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Refresh under cold water; drain. (Vegetable confetti can be made up to 2 hours ahead. Pat dry; cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining wild mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Rewarm soup. Ladle into 4 shallow bowls. Top with sautéed mushrooms and vegetable confetti and serve.