Country Mushroom Soup courtesy of our Mether

1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. flour
Stir these together until smooth. You are not making a roux.

2 C. chicken broth; gradually stir in

1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-2 bay leaves
Add in these ingredients.

Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occaisionally. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet saute 2/3 C. chopped celery and 1/4 C. chopped onion in 2-3 TBSP of olive oil. Add in 4-5 C. of shrooms (not the magical kind). Cook and stir until tender. Add to broth mixture. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 2/3 C. half and half, cream, milk, or evaporated milk. (A small can of evaporated milk works well for creaminess.) Heat through, and do NOT boil. Discard bay leaves and serve.

As you know, mushrooms tend to suck the moisture out of things! We did about 5 C. of mushrooms, which really sucked the moisture out of our soup and made it thick. Really, it had quite an odd consistency. If this is the case for any of you, I recommend adding more broth. It was flavorful and worked out perfectly!