Fall Mushroom Soup with Savory Herbs

(recipe adapted from Edible Maine magazine)

5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 yellow sweet onions, diced
Kosher salt
3 leeks, cut into thin rounds
1 1/2 lbs. button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup sherry
4 cups vegetable broth
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 lb. maitake mushrooms (or any fancy mushroom blend), cleaned and cut bite-sized
3 sprigs oregano (or similar amount dried)
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked from stems (or similar amount dried)
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked from stems (or similar amount dried)
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

In a medium, heavy-bottomed soup pot with a cover, warm 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and a big pinch of salt and give a stir.  Cover.  Let cook for 5 minutes.  Add the leeks and let cook for another 10 minutes.  Add the button mushrooms and another pinch of salt and let cook for 10 minutes, checking periodically to make sure that nothing is browning.  All the vegetables should be sweating in their own natural juice.  Add the sherry and turn up the heat to medium-high.  Let boil for 2 to 3 minutes until the alcohol is cooked off.  Add the vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer and let cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Put half of the mixture into a blender and blend to a slightly coarse texture.  Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

In a medium sauté pan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the maitake mushrooms, herbs, and salt to taste.  Sauté until tender.

Add the sautéed mushrooms and herbs to the soup pot with the almond milk.  Stir and warm.

(I added a bunch of fresh chopped tarragon to the soup as well because I had on hand.  Sautéed it with the mushrooms, and instead just added the other dried herbs directly to the soup with the broth.  Was delicious!)