Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

1-32 oz box beef broth
Optional: 2 teaspoons Beef Better Than Bouillon
1-0.5 oz box dried porcini or morel mushrooms
1 cup rough chopped onion
1 stalk celery, rough chopped
1 large carrot, rough chopped
1 bunch Italian parsley, washed, stems and leaves separated
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups leeks, sliced and washed
3-8 oz boxes sliced baby portabellas
1-3 oz box sliced shitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1-13.5 oz can Andre Prost Coconut Milk (found in the baking section)
3 tablespoons potato starch*
*potato starch is gluten free and doesn't leave an opaque, starchy flavor, like flour

Andre Prost Coconut Milk complements the mushrooms earthy intensity and gives this savory soup a velvety texture.

Make a mushroom stock by adding: beef broth to a large pot, 2 cups water, beef bouillon (if desired), dried mushrooms, onion, celery, carrot, stems from parsley and thyme leaves. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add oil to a soup pot and sauté leeks, portabellas and shitake mushrooms over a medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper to taste. Stirring, cook until vegetables begin to color and water from mushrooms is mostly evaporated.
Place a fine mesh strainer over soup pot and drain mushroom broth into pot, pressing down on broth ingredients, so not a drop is wasted. Remove cooked dried mushrooms from strainer. If using whole morels, slice them into small pieces.
Add Coconut Milk to a medium bowl and whisk in potato starch until smooth. Add coconut mixture and cooked dried mushrooms to soup pot. Stirring, bring just to a simmer. Cook until thickened and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve, or make a day ahead for streamlined entertaining!

Pumpkin Pie (Dairy-Free)