Wild Mushroom Soup With Croutons

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup yellow onions chopped
• 1/2 cup celery chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
• 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
• 6 ounces oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, fresh is best.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 6 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
• 1 Loaf French bread, cut into 1/4 inch thin slices

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and cayenne and cook for 4 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook about 7 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and start to brown. Add the brandy; bring to a boil for about 2 minutes, until glazed. Add the stock and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held blender. Don't overdo it here because you want to leave some of the mushrooms intact for the texture. Add the cream, return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning, to taste.
4. With a pastry brush, brush 1 side of the baguettes with the olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the French bread slices with the granulated garlic powder and place on a baking sheet. Top with a fine sprinkling of the cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a couple of croutons.

unsalted butter, yellow onions, celery, ubc, garlic, white button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, thyme, salt, freshly ground black pepper, brandy, chicken stock, heavy cream, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan, bread

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/wild-mushroom-soup-with-croutons-50014164 (may not work)