Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup is Kermainen Kanasienikeitto

It's starting to get cold in Helsinki, so we're settling in this week with soups for lunch and dinner. Mushroom soup is very popular in Finland because it has two beloved ingredients, cream and foraged mushrooms. It's one of my favorite soups, but it is so decadent and rich that you can only eat a small serving. I would compare it to a chocolate stout beer, it's absolutely delicious, but you don't want more than one. So, I'm making a different version of mushroom soup that fits my typical low carb diet. Look out for the traditional version soon.

You can certainly make this vegetarian or add brown rice if you prefer more carbs. Let me know what you think!

Kermainen Kanasienikeitto Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 rkl oliiviöljyä 2 tbsp olive oil

• 900 g kananfileitä 2 lbs chicken breast

• 600 g sieniä 1.25 lbs mushrooms

• 1 keltainen sipuli hienonnettuna 1 yellow onion chopped

• 6 valkosipulinkynttä murskattuna 6 cloves garlic minced

• ½ rkl kuivattua timjamia ½ tbsp dried thyme

• ½ rkl kuivattua basilikaa ½ tbsp dried basil

• 1 rkl balsamiviinietikkaa 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 L kanalientä 5 cups chicken stock

• 170 g kermajuustoa 6 oz. cream cheese

• 1 dl raastettua parmesaania ½ cup grated parmesan

Garnish: Your choice sauteed mushrooms, sour cream, shredded cheese, parsley, or nothing!

Directions

1. Cook the chicken. Cook the chicken in a bit of olive oil until done, getting a nice sear on each side. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Chop into small pieces.

2. Cook the mushrooms. Working in batches, cook your mushrooms in oil until firm and colorful. You want to sear them for color and to develop extra flavor.

3. Mix the soup. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a soup pot. Add onions, garlic, thyme, basil, and vinegar and saute 4 more minutes.

4. Cook the soup. Next, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chicken and simmer 7 minutes uncovered. You can add more water to get the right consistency. Stir in the cream cheese until smooth.

5. Enjoy. Garnish with extra mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, and/or parsley. Or nothing!