Paris Mushroom Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 large onions, coarsely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, split, germ removed, coarsely chopped
salt
fresh ground white pepper
1 1/2 lbs white mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and sliced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 sprigs parsley
1 sprig rosemary
6 cups chicken broth
Salad
6 large white mushrooms, wiped clean and trimmed
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
salt
fresh ground white pepper
Serving
creme fraiche (optional)

Preparation

Soup-melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat.
Toss in the onions and garlic, season with salt and white pepper; cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Add in the mushrooms and remaining tablespoon butter; increase heat to medium; cook, continuing to stir, for another 3 minutes, until the mushrooms release their liquid.
Increase heat to high and cook until almost all the liquid evaporates.
Add in the wine and let it boil until it almost evaporates.
Toss the herbs into the pot; add in the broth, and bring to a boil.
Decrease the heat, cover the pot almost completely, and cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
Pull out the rosemary sprig (it will have lost its leaves).
Working in small batches in a blender or food processor, puree the soup until it is very smooth; or use an immersion blender (blender will give you the smoothest texture).
Taste for salt and white pepper.
Pour the soup back into the pot and heat it gently; it shouldn't boil, but it should be very hot.
Salad-divide the mushrooms, scallions, parsley, and chives among six soup plates; season lightly with salt and white pepper.
Ladle the soup into the soup plates, and top each with a dollop of creme fraiche, if desired.