Chester County Mushroom Soup

You know it has to be good when it's a recipe coming from "The Mushroom Capital of the World"... And I was even more inclined to try it when my mom tried it and raved about it. So it was a must now that the weather is starting to get chillier. It's hearty, it's tasty, and it was even more awesome with the crostini on top (or on the side).

Edited to add (2/19/2013): I added bit of garlic (2 cloves) to the mushrooms when I was mincing them in the food processor. I also made sure to process them A LOT in order to get a smoother texture in the soup. But beware, for some reason, doing this made it so that my normal soup pot wasn't deep enough and this happened: 

 

Chester County Mushroom Soup
Courtesy of The Terrace Restaurant in Kennett Square, PA



1 carrot
1/2 onion
2 stalks celery
1 tablespoon butter or oil, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter or oil
2 pounds washed button mushrooms
1/2 pound washed shiitake mushrooms
1/2 pound washed oyster mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
3 pints chicken or vegetable stock
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons flour

Mince carrots, onions, and celery in a food processor and saute in heavy pot with oil. Mince mushrooms in a food processor, add to pot along with tarragon, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes. Do not burn.
Add stock and cream and bring to a boil. Mix melted butter and flour until smooth and whip into soup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until all of the flour and butter mixture is incorporated and the soup is thickened. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste.

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Cheddar Tarragon Crostini

French bread, sliced
Olive oil
Sharp cheddar, shredded
Dried tarragon

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place sliced French bread on aluminum foil-lined pan. Drizzle bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese and tarragon, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.