Creamy, No-Cream Mushroom Soup
This past December marked the four-year anniversary of almost moving to Prague, Czechia, or, as it was called then, the Czech Republic. As someone who has always wanted to live abroad, I was set for this new adventure. I’d figured out where I’d get my morning coffee, buy English-language books and learn how to understand, if not master, the Czech language. In a land where pork and potato dishes reigned, I even knew what I’d cook and eat. It wouldn’t be klobása (kielbasa), gulas (pork or beef stew) or schnitzel. Instead I’d make the country’s many versions of creamy mushroom soup. Mushrooms everwhere From late spring to early fall Czechs, like other Central Europeans, forage for wild mushrooms. Once collected and cleaned, the mushrooms might be breaded and fried, made into a pudding, added to scrambled eggs, sautéed or pickled. They may star in the entrée mushroom loaf, in a sandwich, as a salad or sauce or in a hearty soup. Similar to the ever-present potatoes and dumplings, mushrooms make their way into most meals. …