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Wild Mushroom Caramelized Onion and Kale Soup

Wild mushroom caramelized onion and kale soup with a deep mahogany broth, simmered with porcini soaking liquid for extra body. Caramelized onions take the lead, then mushrooms and kale are cooked until browned and just wilted.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1 lb mixed wild mushrooms shiitake, cremini, oyster, sliced
  • 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 2 cups hot water; reserve soaking liquid
  • 3 onions large, thinly sliced
  • 4 cup kale stems removed and chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cup beef or vegetable broth
  • 0.5 cup dry sherry or white wine
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 0.25 Parmesan shavings for serving
  • 0.25 truffle oil for serving
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Caramelize onions
  1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, then add the sliced onions. Cook 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelized (visual cue: onions look dark amber and sticky).
  2. Add the minced garlic and sliced wild mushrooms to the pot. Cook 8 minutes until the mushrooms are browned (visual cue: liquid cooks off and edges caramelize).
  3. Pour in the dry sherry or white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits. Cook 2 minutes so the alcohol aroma cooks off (visual cue: pan looks glossy and reduced).
Simmer the soup
  1. Drain the soaked porcini mushrooms, and reserve the soaking liquid. Add the porcini and the strained soaking liquid to the pot along with the broth, fresh thyme, and balsamic vinegar (visual cue: broth turns dark and fragrant).
  2. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chopped kale and cook 5 minutes until wilted (visual cue: kale turns bright green and softens).
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan shavings and a drizzle of truffle oil (visual cue: finishing oil glistens on the surface).

Notes

For deeper flavor, caramelize the onions until truly dark golden—rushing here makes the broth taste flatter. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently to avoid dulling the kale. Freezing is not recommended because kale can soften after thawing. For a dietary swap, use vegetable broth and skip any beef-based broth to keep it vegetarian.