Maybe one of the most delicious food plots of the 90s, or any decade for that matter, hails from a lesser-known sitcom called 'Seinfeld'. This scrappy little American comedy featured a so-called "Soup Nazi", and while you might not recognize his signature catchphrase "No soup for you!", hopefully you can tell by now that I'm joking. Join me as I take my best crack at his wild mushroom soup.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

• 48 ounces homemade chicken stock

• 3/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

• 2 pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms, chopped

• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1/2 cup dry sherry

• 5 stems fresh parsley, leaves picked, divided

• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces

• Zest of two lemons

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche

Method

Makes 8 servings

1. Place porcini mushrooms in a metal bowl.  Bring 32 ounces of chicken stock to a boil, and pour over mushrooms, setting aside to steep for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a large stock pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat, adding fresh mushrooms once shimmering. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and well-browned, about 10 minutes, and set aside. Add another 1/4 cup olive oil to the same pot, and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add celery and onions, sautéing over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or until a dark fond forms on the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, and deglaze pot with sherry, scraping fond off the bottom. Add fresh parsley, thyme, and soaked porcini mushrooms, and simmer for 30 minutes, diluting with remaining chicken stock (or more if desired) if mushrooms are too strong.
3. Pour soup into the jar of a high-powered blender, and season with salt and pepper.  Blend until nearly smooth, stop the blender, and add torn bread pieces.  Turn the blender on high, and while running, stream remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in through the top, until soup is creamy and emulsified.
4. In 4 warm, shallow soup bowls, pile a handful of wild mushrooms in the center of each bowl.  Pour soup around the mushrooms, until soup comes halfway up their side.  Grate lemon zest over top, sprinkle with a bit of chopped fresh parsley, and drizzle with olive oil and crème fraîche.