Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb white button mushrooms, diced
1/2 lb portabella mushroom, diced (baby bellas are good or use a mix of portobello and shitake)
4 -5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons scallions, sliced thin
3 roasted garlic cloves, minced (roast whole bulb of garlic wrapped in foil in 350*F. oven 1 hr)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 small bay leaf
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk (or half and half)
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened (low fat-neufchatel is good)
1 1/2 - 2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbls. water
parsley, chopped, to garnish
smoked paprika (optional)
dry sherry (optional)

Preparation

Dice and chop vegetables.
Melt butter in a high sided large saute pan. Lightly saute scallions about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, roasted garlic, thyme, bay leaf and lemon juice and zest; saute over medium heat 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, cream, whole milk, cream cheese and stock; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add cornstarch that has been dissolved in 1 tbls. water to soup, continue to simmer 10 more minutes, stirring continually until soup is desired consistency and mushrooms are tender.
Adjust seasoning to taste. Remove bay leaf.
Pour into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
If you like, sprinkle a dash of smoked paprika and a splash of sherry into each bowl. Enjoy!