This Soup Is Just Plain Fancy!

Love to warm up with soup on a blustery winter day but you don’t have time to make it from scratch? Make this canned mushroom soup that gets all dressed up for dinner, finished with a swirl of fancy olivewood smoked olive oil. Delicioso!

Smoky Portabella Mushroom Soup

5 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 slices Canadian bacon, cut into matchstick pieces and chopped
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
• ¼ red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon Cavender’s Greek Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 18 ounce can Progresso creamy mushroom soup
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon Oliveto olivewood smoked olive oil for finishing (available at Oliveto Artisan Oils and Vinegars)
• Toasted buttered baguette slices

Place olive oil in a frying pan. Heat the oil and add the Canadian bacon pieces. Fry Canadian bacon over high heat to begin browning and then reduce heat to medium high heat and fry it for approximately 6 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp.  Remove Canadian bacon from pan. 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in small saucepan. Add red bell pepper and sauté in butter until peppers are softened. Remove from heat. 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the same pan that the Canadian bacon was fried in. Place red onion in melted butter and sauté onion over medium high heat until it is softened. Add baby bella mushrooms, Greek seasoning and salt. Stir and sauté until mushrooms are thoroughly cooked. 

Place mushroom soup in a blender container. Add cooked mushroom mixture and half and half. Blend to puree the mixture. Pour the soup back into the frying pan and heat for service. 

Place one cup of mushroom soup in a soup bowl for each serving. Place Canadian bacon pieces, chopped fresh parsley and just a few red pepper pieces in the middle of each serving of soup. Drizzle olivewood smoked olive oil around the Canadian bacon pieces to finish the soup. Serve immediately with toasted buttered baguette slices.

About the Writer:

Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @bubblybeeboop.