Light Cream of Mushroom Soup
There truly is nothing more comforting and cozy than a bowl of creamy soup. Paired with a crispy, crunchy baguette, you really have the world’s best dinner, lunch, snack or even breakfast. The folks at Panera Bread know this all to well and have been making some of the best soup around for years. I’m a HUGE fan of Panera for this very reason. You see, I love soup (if you couldn’t tell by my list of endless soup and stew recipes) and I could probably eat it for every meal. Which is why when Panera asked me to try one of their soups and then create my own recipe using their “Good Goes In” philosophy, I was elated. I also knew exactly what I was going to make, a creamy, delicious bowl of light cream of mushroom soup.
This is one of my all-time favorite soups (despite the fact it’s really hard to photograph). In fact, in college, I would buy cans of it and eat them for every meal. Now that I’m older (and can afford real ingredients), my soup comes from fresh produce, light cream and not an aluminum can. Not talking smack about the canned stuff, but this homemade soup? Blows it out of the water. Like, clear out. The canned soup is in Kansas right now.
In addition to creating our own soup recipe, Panera also asked us to try one of their concoctions. Because I’m an adventurous eater, I went with the broccoli cheddar in a bread bowl. Which is the same thing I get every single time I go there. Yup. Daredevil extraordinaire over here. What can I say though? It’s so cheesy and creamy with just the right amount of broccoli chunks. AND! It’s served in a crispy yet soft bowl of bread. What is not to love here?
As much as I wanted to make my own bread-bowls for this soup, I also wanted it to be a light, low-carb and low-fat entree for those watching their weight. As amazing as bread-bowls are, let’s just say they aren’t exactly low-carb. So, instead I just paired this with a small piece of crunchy baguette.
Which, as any smart person knows, is clearly for use of dipping in the soup (or for mopping up the little bit of creamy soup leftovers from the bowl).
Light Cream of Mushroom Soup
Serves about 6. Recipe adapted from Food.com.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup sliced bella mushrooms
- 3/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup light cream
- 1/4 cup skim milk
- Dash of salt
- Dash of pepper
Directions:
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic and onion. Cook until mushrooms start to soften and are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Blend in the flour and coat the vegetables. Add the broth and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 – 6 minutes.
- Add in cream, milk and salt and pepper. Heat until soup is thickened, another 5 – 6 minutes.
- Garnish with additional chives and enjoy!
Nutritional information per serving (about 2/3 cup):
Calories: 116
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 4.5 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 2.7 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 3
Disclaimer: I received a gift card for Panera Bread from DailyBuzz Food in exchange for this post. I am also receiving a stipend. All pictures taken and opinions given in the post are my own.
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