Mushroom Soup with Toasted Bread

• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. Three 1/2-inch slices of sourdough bread (6 ounces), crusts removed
2. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3. 1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4. 2 portobello mushrooms—stems discarded, black gills reserved for garnish, caps coarsely chopped
5. 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6. Salt and freshly ground white pepper
7. 6 cups vegetable broth or water
8. 3/4 cup heavy cream
9. 12 dill sprigs

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Bake the bread slices on a baking sheet for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, until deeply browned.
2. In a pot, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, until the mushrooms are softened, 5 minutes. Add the broth and 1/2 cup of the cream; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the mushrooms are tender, 10 minutes.
3. Add the toasted bread to the soup; simmer until softened, 5 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor. Return the soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
4. In a saucepan, bring the remaining 1/4 cup of cream to a boil. Remove from the heat; whisk until frothy. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the frothed cream, garnish with the dill and portobello gills and serve.