Mushroom and Corn Soup

Yesterday was the perfect day for a steaming bowl of soup. One of my favorite soups is Mushroom soup. It is so hearty and so comforting. I found a recipe for Mushroom soup in a magazine and fiddled around a little to make it my own. Took a little long to make, but the end result was enormously satisfying.

2 lb assorted mushrooms (crimini, button, portabella, shiitake) sliced into thick pieces.
1 cup corn ( I used frozen corn)
1 cup onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (The recipe asked for 1/2 cup heavy cream, but I used 2% milk)
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot. Add onion and garlic, and cook 5 minutes till onion is soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, increase heat and cook till all the moisture evaporates from the mushrooms. Lower heat to medium.
Add sherry, lemon juice, paprika and pepper. Cook till the sherry has almost evaporated. Add broth, frozen corn, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes. Add milk and bring to boil.
Whisk corn starch and soy sauce together to dissolve and stir into the simmering soup to thicken. Add salt and the fresh dill. Mix well.
Serve in a bowl and enjoy. It is sure to keep the cold away. :)