French Mushroom And Scallion Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
12 scallions, green and white parts, sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or to taste)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (or for a vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock)
8 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup half-and-half, if you want to conserve calories
salt & freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
chopped fresh tarragon (to garnish) or chives (to garnish)

Preparation

Heat the butter in a large pot over moderate heat.
Saute the scallions and garlic until tender but not too brown, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
Add the stock and mushrooms and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.
Simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Puree in batches using an electric blender or food processor.
(If you have one, an immersion blender is the best!) Strain, return to the pot and add the cream or half& half, salt, and pepper.
Reheat and serve garnished with chopped fresh herbs.
Serve with a crusty loaf of French bread and a glass of wine.