Corn Soup with Mushroom Ragout

Ingredients

• 4
  
  tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1
  
  medium yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1
  
  rib celery, chopped
  
• 1
  
  leek, white part only, chopped
  
• 1
  
  carrot, chopped
  
• 1
  
  clove garlic, chopped
  
• 6
  
  ears corn, shucked and kernels stripped from the cob
  
• 1
  
  bay leaf
  
• pinch
  
  saffron threads
  
• 6
  
  cups water
  
• 1
  
  pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as oyster, shiitake, cremini, trumpet, or portobello), trimmed and sliced about ½” thick
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
  
• 1
  
  shallot lobe, minced
  
• 
  
  salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

Directions

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion, carrot, leek, celery, and garlic and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels, bay leaf, and saffron, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot and you begin to see ripples in the oil, add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring only occasionally (if you stir too frequently, the mushrooms will not caramelize). After about five minutes, add the thyme and shallot and season well with salt and pepper. When there is no more liquid left in the pan, about five more minutes, remove the mushrooms and set aside
3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender (or transfer the soup to a blender and puree). Then strain the soup through a fine-meshed sieve and discard the pulp (you may need to use the back of a spoon to help pass the soup through the sieve). Season with salt to taste, about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon. Serve the strained soup into bowls and top with the mushroom ragout.