Mushroom & Leek Soup with Thyme Cream

A nice, quick soup that is at its best if you take a bit of extra time to really brown the mushrooms, sauteing in batches if necessary and without much stirring. The thyme cream -- the element that makes this a special soup and one suitable for entertaining -- has to be made about three hours beforehand but otherwise this is a snap to pull together. The soup can also be done ahead and reheated.

I made a half recipe, and substituted onion for leeks because that's what I had. I also deglazed the pan with a little French vermouth after sauteing the the mushrooms and onions. The recipe calls for the addition of a few tablespoons of flour to thicken the soup and even though I used less than called for, this soup was -- in my husband's words -- "one step away from creamed mushrooms over toast." Still tasty but I'd probably cut out almost entirely or even completely omit the flour next time.