With the big game in national football last Sunday, Leelanau Enterprise staff celebrated a bigger event at the office on Feb. 7 with the return of the annual “Souper-Bowl” luncheon competition.
“The Souper Bowl is a fun, and tasty, way for all of us to come together, relax, talk and enjoy some great soups,” said Enterprise Publisher John Elchert. “On a Wednesday, which is production day, it offers a nice break from deadlines and the rush to get the paper out the door. At the end of the day we all have full stomachs, some new recipes, created great memories and a local charity gets a cash donation. What can be better than that? Life is good! And so was the soup!”
Eight employees brought in soups to sample and then voted for their favorite by depositing money in a container for each soup. For the first time, celebrity judges Sheriff Mike Borkovich, Eric Nittolo, owner of Nittolo’s Seafood and Pizza; and Ty Wessell, chair of the County Board of Commissioners, were invited to take part in the process.
Leelanau Enterprise reporter Brian Frieberger’s green chili chicken soup won first place among the celebrity judges. The in-house winner was Enterprise staff member Patrice Korson for her cream of mushroom soup. Korson gets to donate the $100 raised to her charity of choice, which is the baby pantry at Leelanau Christian Neighbors.
Recipe:
Cream of Mushroom Soup
(Large batch suitable for Crock or Instant Pot)
Patrice Korson
Ingredients:
1½ cup butter (3 sticks) 3-4 med. onions, diced
2-3 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 c. flour
1 T. ground Thyme
2 T. garlic powder 1 T. salt
1 T. black pepper 48 oz. chicken broth
5 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in a bit of water 48 oz. heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Saute onion in butter until softened. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms are cooked through.
Sprinkle flour into mixture and combine well. Cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Add broth, beef boullion and spices and bring up to a simmer, simmering for about 10 minutes.
Add in heavy whipping cream and bring up to heat again. You can serve it now, or if it's in the Crock Pot, you can leave it on the warm setting for as long as needed.
