This soup captures the essence of woodsy, wild mushrooms. The trick is reconstituting dried wild mushrooms and adding them to the texture of fresh cultured mushrooms. It's a luscious, satisfying first course.

4 oz. dried wild mushrooms (shittake, cepes or porcini)
1 1/2 c. Kosher dry red wine
4 tbsp. parve butter
4 c. yellow onions, chopped
4 lb. fresh white mushrooms
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt & black pepper to taste
10 c. defatted Kosher chicken broth
2 Kosher chicken bouillon cubes (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh or frozen chives, chopped

Rinse the dried mushrooms well in a strainer; drain. Place red wine in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat and add rinsed mushrooms; let soak to rehydrate for 1 hour.

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add onions and cook, covered, over low heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Trim stems of fresh mushrooms. Wipe tops clean with a paper towel. (Do not soak in water.) Slice thinly; add to pot with onions. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove dried mushrooms from the wine with a slotted spoon. Add to the soup pot. Pour the wine into pot through a very fine strainer. Add broth (and bouillon cubes if stronger flavor is desired) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, or until dried mushrooms are tender. Cool slightly.

Puree the mixture in small batches in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Return to soup pot and adjust seasonings to taste. If mixture is too thick, add a bit more broth. Heat until steaming. Serve garnished with chives. Serves 16. Per serving 175 calories. 4 g fat. No cholesterol.