Ingredients
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1 tablespoon butter
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1/2 tablespoon olive oil
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1 lb sweet onion, peeled, cut in half, cut thin crosswise
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1 stalk celery, chopped
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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4 cups chicken stock (a little more may be required to thin soup if too thick)
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1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de provence
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1 small bay leaf
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1/2 cup half-and-half
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4 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
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4 ounces swiss cheese, grated
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salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
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minced fresh parsley (to garnish)
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1 large carrot, chopped
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1 lb portabella mushroom, cleaned, cut in slices
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute, stirring every few minutes, until they are caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrot, garlic and salt, and saute, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, thyme (or herbes de provence) and bay leaf to saucepan. Reduce temperature to a slow boil and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf.
- (Carefully) blend soup in batches, either in blender, or using immersion blender, until soup is mostly pureed, leaving a bit of texture in the vegetables. Return to saucepan and over a low heat, whisk in half and half, ricotta and swiss cheeses, until cheeses have entirely melted into the soup. (If soup is too thick, thin with a little more hot broth). Season to suit your taste with salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.
- Serve in deep bowls, garnished with a sprinkle of minced, fresh parsley.