Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup with Herbed Bread Crumbs

Recipe from Canadian Living, February 2016. 

 If you can't find chanterelle or oyster mushrooms, use a mix of shiitake and cremini, which are more affordable and available year-round. For the creamiest texture, make sure to use an upright blender, rather than an immersion blender, to purée the soup.

** I actually made the cheddar crouton recipe instead of the herbed bread crumbs. This was a good soup recipe. I'd make it again, although now I have a lot of mascarpone cheese left and I'm not sure what I'll do with it.  And rosemary...

Ingredients

Wild Mushroom Soup:

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
• 675 g mixed wild mushrooms, (such as chanterelle, shiitake and/or oyster), tough stems removed and mushrooms chopped
• 2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (500 mL) sodium-reduced vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) mascarpone cheese
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
• pinch nutmeg

Herbed Bread Crumbs:

• 2 tsp (10 mL) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) lemon zest
  

  Preparation

  Wild Mushroom Soup: In Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; cook mushrooms and rosemary, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown and almost no liquid remains, about 10 minutes.
  
  Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and 2 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
  
  Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to clean Dutch oven or large saucepan; heat over medium-low heat. Whisk in mascarpone, lemon juice, salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days; reheat before serving.)
  
  Herbed Bread Crumbs: While soup is simmering, in small nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook bread crumbs, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 3 minutes. Add parsley and lemon zest; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Serve over soup.