Easy Cream Of Mushroom Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb cremini mushroom, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons dried thyme or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sherry wine
1/2 lb cream cheese or 1/2 lb low-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons half-and-half cream

Preparation

In a small skillet, heat 1/2 T olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1/2 c sliced mushrooms. Saute until limp and browned, 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a soup pot, heat remaining 1 T olive oil and butter until butter melts and foaming subsides. Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes until beginning to soften. Add garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until mushrooms collapse and exude liquid, about 8-10 minutes.
Add chicken broth, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and sherry. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.
Add cream cheese and half-and-half. Stir until cheese is melted. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Simmer an additional 10 minutes. Serve with a few pieces of sauteed sliced mushrooms on top.