Kristofer’s has become northern Door’s destination of choice.

Tom Davis

Wisconsin Trails Magazine

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This month I am sharing one of the original soup recipes served at the Inn at Kristofer's.....our delicious cream of mushroom and artichoke heart soup.

You can use good old regular mushrooms or be more exotic and add some wild mushrooms like shiitakes, crimini and oyster mushrooms. I do not like to use portabella mushrooms in this recipe and here is why. The dark gills of the portabella mushroom will make your soup very gray and "dirty" looking.

In the recipe below, I am using a mixture of regular mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms. I also use canned artichoke hearts that are canned in water....not in oil. When you chop your artichoke hearts, make sure to keep out any tough leaves. It depends on the brand, but I have found that some canned artichoke hearts will have a tougher upper leaf. If you can't cut through it, don't add it to your soup!

Recipe of the Month

Cream of Mushroom and Artichoke Heart Soup
Served 6 to 8 .

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 medium peeled shallots or

1 small white onion

3 cups of coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
(regular mushrooms or a combination of regular mushrooms, shiitakes, oyster mushrooms, or crimini mushrooms )
1/4 cup white wine
(I used a nice Riesling but Sauvignon Blanc or a chardonnay that is not too "oaky" are also good choices)
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cup cream
1 cup whole or 2 percent milk

1 cup coarsely chopped canned artichoke hearts
(water packed.....not marinated in oil)

salt and white pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
parsley (Italian parsley preferred as it has more flavor than curly parsley)

for optional garnish

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter

Prepare your ingredients by finely chopping the shallots or onion. If using regular mushrooms,clean and slice them. If using a more exotic mushrooms like shiitake or oyster mushrooms, remove the stems (they tend to be tough) then slice them.

Melt the butter in your stock pot. Add the shallots or onions and chopped garlic. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes until shallots and garlic are translucent but not browned.

Add the flour and stir constantly while the burner is on low heat. You are making the soup's "roux" or thickening agent. You need to cook and stir the mixture for about 2 minutes so that the flour is cooked.

Turn heat off. Toss in the mushrooms and stir to coat with the roux.

Add the white wine and stir.

Add the stock, milk and cream. Turn heat on medium low and stir to combine. Let soup simmer for about 45 minutes. The mushrooms need to cook through and the mixture should begin to thicken slightly. Stir the soup now and then while it is simmering.

Puree the soup. To the right, I am pureeing the soup by putting an immersion blender directly into the pot. You can also puree the soup in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Place pureed soup back on a low heat.
Chop the artichoke hearts. Add to the simmering soup. Add the salt, white pepper, dill, thyme and parsley. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings as needed. If the soup is too thick, simply add a little milk or stock to thin it out.

Saute the remaining optional mushrooms for garnish. Serve by placing soup in soup bowls. Top with a few sauteed mushrooms.

If you like, garnish with an edible flower or a sprig of fresh Italian parsley.