Old-fashioned Mushroom Soup

Servings: 10 to 12
Preparation time: 45 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white part only, chopped
2 large yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced, about 1 tablespoon
2 pounds mushrooms, such as button, shitake, Portobello, cut into ¼ inch pieces
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 quarts chicken stock
¼ cup fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pan over medium high heat. Cook the leeks, onions and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pot. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir. Cook for several minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cream. Simmer for 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.