Creamy Mushroom Soup with Lamb

Dinner tonight!  Creamy Mushroom Soup with Lamb Meat Balls!

mmmmm....  When I spotted this recipe posted yesterday by the Pioneer Woman I knew I had to try it.  Pete and I love mushrooms and this just sounded like the perfect winter night meal.  However, I like meat with my dinners so I knew it needed something.  Lamb!!  I love the flavor of grass-fed lamb and knew that these lamb meatballs would pair so nicely with the nutty-ness of the mushrooms!

So first I made the meatballs:

1.5lbs of Ground Lamb

1 Egg

Some garlic salt

Some oregano 

1/2 C Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Mix all that together and form little meatballs

Bake them at 445degrees for 20 minutes!  Presto!!  Meatballs complete!

Now the soup:

This is from the Pioneer Woman's blog:

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1-1/2 pound Mushrooms, Sliced
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Sliced Thin
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme Leaves
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 3/4 cups Dry White Wine Or Sherry
• 4 cups Vegetable Or Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, For Serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium-high heat. When melted, add 1/3 of the mushrooms. Cook them until dark golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then remove them from the pot and set them aside.

In the same pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce the heat to medium and add the rest of the mushrooms, along with the onion, celery, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and stir constantly for 3 minutes, allowing the flour to cook. Slowly add the wine or sherry, stirring while you add. Allow it to heat and bubble up for a couple of minutes, then slowly pour in the stock. Keep stirring to reduce the likelihood of lumps.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender (make sure it is just warm or cool at this stage---blending hot soup is dangerous!) and puree until mushrooms are mostly broken up into small barley-sized bits. (NOTE: You may use an immersion blender in the pot if you have one, and you don't have to let the soup cool first.) Transfer the soup back to the pot, add the cream, and heat it to a simmer. Add balsamic, then taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve warm with reserved mushrooms on top and crusty chunks of warm bread.