Onion and Mushroom Soup

If you have a mushroom addiction like I do, this is a great way to use up the leftover 3 or 4 or 10 varieties of mushrooms you have in your fridge before they "turn," and you can also finish up those last couple of onions and shallots you have in the basket.  Use what you have on hand and season to your taste.  This is a be-frugal-and-use-your-leftovers recipe, so no specific measurements, just use what you have and season to taste.

Slice onions and/or shallots.  Put them in an oven-safe dish that you've sprayed lightly with olive oil with your Misto sprayer or rubbed lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and very lightly with sugar.  Roast uncovered in a 350 degree oven for a long, long time, checking and stirring every 30 minutes, until onions are beginning to caramelize.  Let them get slightly brown, but don't let them burn.

Slice whatever mushrooms you have on hand, the more varieties the better.  Saute tem in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and butter, sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Add a couple of garlic cloves pressed through a garlic press.  When mushrooms start looking cooked, add a big splash of sherry and cook until liquid is reduced.

In a stewpot or large saucepan, simmer homemade beef, chicken, or veggie broth if available (or bouillon or canned or box broth if you don't have homemade), water, pinot grigio wine, a little soy sauce, freshly ground pepper, a splash of sherry, granulated toasted onion if you have it (I love Penzey's http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/results.html), and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper powder.

Add roasted onions and sauteed mushrooms to the broth and simmer a while to combine flavors.

To serve, if you follow a low carb diet, ladle soup into ramekins and top with shredded or thinly sliced gruyere, emmental, or swiss cheese.  Broil in oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned.  If you don't worry about carbs, ladle soup into ramekins, top with a slice of toasted baguette and shredded or thinly sliced gruyere, emmental, or swiss cheese.  Broil in oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Enjoy!