Mauer’s Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound white button or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned, stem ends trimmed and chopped

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and discarded and cut into thin slices

3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or minced

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

5 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1½ cups nonfat sour cream, at room temperature

2½ tablespoons all-purpose, unbleached flour

2 tablespoons dry sherry or cognac

2 tablespoons chopped flatleaf parsley

Place a heavy-bottomed, non-aluminum 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and add oil. When hot, add mushrooms and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to give up their liquid. Add the cayenne pepper and nutmeg and saute 30 seconds, or until fragrant.Stir in 4 cups broth and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.While the soup simmers, place sour cream, remaining chicken broth and flour in a medium mixing bowl; whisking until combined. Set aside. Whisk sherry or cognac into the soup; pour in sour cream mixture and whisk until well combined. Immediately reduce the heat to low, and cook until just heated through (do not let it boil).Remove from the heat. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.Serves six, about 1frac12;-cup servings.@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 145 calories (16.5 percent from fat), 2.7 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 21.5 g carbohydrates, 1.1 g fiber, 6 g protein, 8 mg cholesterol, 582 mg sodium.SaltSense: Omitting the added salt reduces the sodium per serving of this soup to 388 milligrams.