Name: Cream Of Mushroom Soup En Croute
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 Sheet of frozen puff pastry (thawed); 5 Tbs. Unsalted butter; 1 1/2 Lb. Mixed cremini & white button mushrooms (sliced); 2 Large shallots (minced); 1 Tsp. Kosher salt; 1/8 Tsp. Freshly ground pepper; 1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme (finely chopped); 3 Tbs. All-purpose flour; 1 Cup Milk (warmed, plus more as needed); 1 Cup Half & half (warmed); 2 Cups Chicken stock (warmed); 2 Tbsp. Sherry; 1 Egg (lightly beaten)

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Cream of Mushroom Soup En Croute is one of my all time favorite “meals”. Yup, this is a complete meal for me and one I enjoy tremendously. There is definitely a story behind this soup. I worked at a company here in Southern California for years. Every holiday, they would rent out the grand ballroom at Disneyland for our Christmas party. It was spectacular…they went all out with food, drinks, entertainment, raffles, gifts, etc. But the thing that I really started looking forward to was this cream of mushroom soup that was baked with puff pastry on it. Cream of mushroom soup has long been a favorite (Sure it started with Campbell’s condensed soup, but I’ve grown up and still crave it.) But I loved that they added that pastry shell and I love that it turned the dish into a whole meal.

I was never able to track down a decent recipe to copy theirs but I did have this great cream of mushroom soup that I’ve been making for years and I could add the puff pastry top. And guess what? That’s exactly what I did. It is still one of my favorites in the fall and winter and I still find it satisfying as a meal all by itself.

I honestly don’t know how we were supposed to then eat surf and turf and cheesecake after having this soup at our Christmas party (Never did since I loved that soup!) but I looked forward to it every year.

While I no longer work with the company, I still like to make this as a treat during the holidays. A tree trimming party, an old Christmas movie marathon or a roaring fire makes me want this soup even more. It is one of my favorite comfort foods and hopefully, it will be yours too.

To get started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle about 15 by 10 inches and 1/8 inch thick. Cut the pastry into six 5-inch squares. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook for two minutes. Stir occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the mushrooms are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, add the sherry and increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/8 tsp. pepper.

Transfer ¾ of the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, use a knife and finely chop. Put the whole sliced mushrooms in a bowl and set both aside.

In the same pot over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 3 Tbs. butter. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until no lumps are visible.

Slowly whisk in the milk and half and half until combined. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is bubbling vigorously and thickened. While stirring, slowly add the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes more. Add the chopped thyme and stir into the mix.

Stir in the mushroom puree. Season with salt and pepper and thin with additional milk, if needed. Stir in the whole sliced mushrooms.

Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Using soup bowls with handles will make removing the soup after the puff pastry has been added a lot easier.