Triple Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is good anyway, but this recipe with the addition of the shiitakes and the baby bellas, in my opinion, makes it exceptionally flavorful.  The original recipe came from "Soup for Every Body" by Joanna Pruess with Lauren Braun RD, LD.  With a few additions to the original recipe, I was able to achieve a subtle, but certainly noticeable surprise for the taste buds.
---Enjoy

Triple Mushroom Soup

1. Pour hot water over the dried shiitakes and soak until softened.  Strain mushrooms in a strainer lined with moistened paper towels reserving the liquid.  
2. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce to 1/2 cup and reserve.  
3. Remove and discard the mushrooms' woody stems and cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
4. Finely chop the white and baby bella mushrooms.  [Note; if you do this in a food processor, pulse until finely chopped.  Do not let the processor run.]
5.  Heat the olive oil in your favorite soup pot over a medium heat.  Cook the shallots until they are wilted and golden, 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms and cook until they have given up their liquid, stirring often.
6. Pour in the broth, add the bay leaf, thyme, sliced mushrooms, reserved mushroom liquid, Marsala cooking wine and salt and pepper to taste.  Partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the low-fat sour cream and simmer to heat through.
8. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chives or scallions and serve.

Ingredients 2 cups hot water 2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms 1/2 lb white mushrooms, wiped and trimmed 1/2lb baby bella mushrooms, wipped and trimmed 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil 2 tbs shallots, minced 2 cups reuced sodium beef, chicken or vegatable broth  1 bay leaf 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves Freshly ground sea salt and pepper 1/2 pint low-fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt Fresh chives are thinnly sliced scallions to garnish 1/4 cup Marsala cooking wine