So, I couldn’t decide on dinner tonight. There were several options and then Donna, my colleague said, “I think I’ll make a pot of soup for this rainy weekend!” When I got home, I scoured the fridge to find some interesting ingredients that would make a quick but delicious soup. And then I spotted them, cremini mushrooms! Okay that was a start…I still had some shallots left over – nice flavor combination. Then I thought, how could I thicken this without using flour, since I’m watching my flour and sugar intake. I grabbed a can of small white beans, rinsed and put them in the Nutribullet, with some lowfat milk, and sour cream, and voilà!, a healthy and tasty thickener for my soup! Now for a little side. Of course, a nice crusty French bread would have gone perfectly, but again, I am trying to limit the white stuff, I also did not feel like heading out to the store, so I made a quick corn muffin. Medium course cornmeal, an egg, salt, baking powder, milk, and just a touch of honey, in a muffin tin and in the oven. Had it not been a damp and dreary evening, I might have splurged on the crusty French bread, and it would have gone perfectly, but it’s the kind of night that you just want to stay in!

Mushroom Soup

1 package of cremini mushrooms, sliced thin

2 shallots, sliced thin

2 basil leaves chiffonade

dried thyme

1 can of small white beans, rinsed

1 generous tablespoon of sour cream

2/3 cup lowfat milk

red wine

1 box of organic chicken broth (low sodium)

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

In a large pan, saute mushrooms and shallots in olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Add basil and thyme. After ingredients are wilted, add about a tablespoon of red wine. Cook for a few minutes. Add chicken broth. While soup come to a boil, take beans, milk, and sour cream and blend until smooth. Reduce heat, and add blended bean mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about five minutes or just until heated through. Enjoy!