Here is the other soup I made when I was healing from oral surgery and couldn’t actually eat it. (Pause for dramatic sigh here.) Ian praised it quite highly, even though he was afflicted with a terrible cold at the time and had to blow his nose between bites in order to be able to taste it.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

6 c. stock (chicken or beef, or veggie/mushroom if you prefer a vegetarian version)

4 tbsp and 2 tbsp butter

1 lb mushrooms, chopped

1 c chopped carrots

1 c chopped onions

1 c chopped celery

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 c flour

3 c half & half

In a saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter; add garlic and when it becomes fragrant, add carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms and thyme. Sweat them down until mushrooms are tender and dark brown and transfer to crock pot; add stock and allow to simmer on low for 4-6 hours. In a saucepan (you can use the same one, it’s going in the same place!) melt 2 tbsp butter and add a bit of flour. Whisking, add some half & half and blend well. Continue to alternate flour and half & half until all combined, then add to crock pot and mix well.