Cream of Mushroom Soup

I haven't purchased a can of "cream of something" soup in probably 8 or 9 years.  The stuff in there skeeves me out...and if I don't want to eat it, I can't justify feeding it to my kids.  But, how can I justify denying them delicious soups and casseroles?!  I can't do that either.  So...I gotta figure it out on my own.  Inspired by Erin over at Table For 7, I set off on a cream of mushroom quest.

Please, please, please do not make your decision on if you are going to try this soup on my terrible photo.  The lighting in here is horrendous and I am a farmer, not a photographer. :)  You have to try this soup! WHOA! It is SO good!  I can't believe I didn't do this sooner.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

What's In It:

16oz mushrooms, any variety*

4 1/2 c chicken broth

1/2 c butter

1 1/2 c chopped green onions

1/2 c onion, chopped

1/2 c flour

2 1/2 c milk

2 T dried parsley

1/2 t thyme
3/4 t garlic powder
3/4 t poultry seasoning
1 1/2 t salt
1 t onion powder
1 t black pepper

What To Do With It:

Clean mushrooms using a dry paper towel.  Finely dice.  

Melt butter in a large pot. Add green and regular onions.  Saute over medium heat until translucent and the butter begins to brown a bit.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes or until they are tender.  Add the flour and stir for 1 minute.  Add a small amount of broth and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the tasty goodness there.  Add remaining broth, parsley, and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Add milk and season with salt and pepper.  Heat through but be careful not to boil.

*I was extremely displeased with the mushroom quality at my grocery store, so I went with a  2.6oz package of dried oyster mushrooms.  I boiled them for about 3 minutes in the broth, then chopped them finely.  After boiling the mushrooms, I used water to bring the volume of my broth back up to 4 1/2 c.  The texture of these mushrooms was definitely a bit chewier than I would have liked, in the future, I will practice a little more patience and wait until I can find fresh.