Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon butter + 4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 shallots, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
~8 cups of mushrooms (a variety, if possible)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
garlic powder
nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
4-6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk (or half & half)
1/2 cup parmesan, grated

• Heat 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil until hot.
• Sautée shallots and garlic until translucent.
• Remove shallots and garlic from heat and transfer to small bowl.
• In the (now empty) pan, add mushrooms and cook on medium-high until dark and fragrant, stirring to prevent burning.
• If desired, take out some mushrooms to use as a topping for the soup.
• Stir in balsamic vinegar and the sautéed shallots and garlic.
• Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutritional yeast to taste.
• Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and stir.
• Add thyme, stir.
• Pour in a few tablespoons of broth to deglaze pan. Slowly pour in the rest of the broth – the amount you use will depend on your desired consistency of the soup and the volume of mushrooms you used. You can always add more later.
• If you prefer a smoother soup, you can use an immersion blender or food processor to purée some or all of the mixture. I like to purée some but not all of the mixture so that there are still larger bits of mushrooms throughout the soup. 😉
• Simmer on low for 15 minutes, seasoning to taste as the flavors develop.
• Near serving time, stir in coconut milk and parmesan.
• Top with homemade croutons and more parmesan cheese.