Every once in a while you just need a hearty, comforting bowl of soup, especially one that can be put on the table in under 30 minutes!  The great thing about this soup is that it’s #LactoVegetarian and #KetoFriendly so you can keep it as a #GoToRecipe for when you are hosting friends or family who may be making those lifestyle choices.

Once you’ve seen how quick and easy this soup is to make, and how great it tastes,  you’ll never stress about hosting Keto or Vegetarian friends for lunch or dinner again!

Keto Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 24 oz Sliced Cremini Mushrooms (681 g)
• 4 TBLS Butter (1/4 Cup)
• 4 TBLS Olive Oil (1/4 Cup)
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
• 3 Green Onions (Scallions) Chopped – Reserve 2 TBLS for garnish
• 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 Cup Brandy
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 Pieces Thick Cut Bacon (Cooked), Chopped – Leave out for Vegetarian
• Sour Cream or Crème Fraîche (optional)

In a 5 qt Dutch oven, or large saucepan, heat the oil and butter until melted.  Add the garlic and  all but 2 TBLS of the chopped green part of the scallions to the pan.  Sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add all of the mushrooms and stir to make sure they are well coated with the oil/butter.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, or until mushrooms have released their moisture and are softened.  Add the vegetable stock and cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until soup reaches a boil.

Remove soup from heat and, using an immersion blender, process the soup until it reaches your desired consistency.  I like mine to have pretty good texture, so I leave it kind of chunky.  If you like it really smooth, you can process the mushroom/broth mixture in batches, in your Vitamix or blender and return the blended mixture to the pan.  Make sure that you don’t over fill your blender container and watch your steam build up.

Once you’ve processed your soup, stir in your whipping cream and chopped, cooked bacon (if you’re not keeping it Vegetarian) and heat soup over low heat, but do not let it reach a boil.  Stir in the brandy for the last minute of heating and then turn off heat.  Keep covered until ready to serve.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Serving suggestions:

• Top with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche
• Top with chopped chives or scallions
• Top with additional chopped bacon