Creamy Mushroom Soup With Little White Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb mushroom (any combination of button, shiitake, crimini, oyster and portobello)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons sherry wine or 3 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1 (19 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or other small white beans)
1/2 cup cream (optional) or 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk (optional)
salt and pepper

Preparation

Clean the mushrooms. Slice half of them and finely chop the other half.
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Stirring frequently, saute until the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.
Add the sherry and cook until it evaporates. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock and beans and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off and stir in milk or cream. Salt and pepper to taste.