MUSHROOM VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Mushrooms -- fresh
• 2 tablespoons Margarine -- divided
• 1 cup Carrot -- finely chopped
• 1 cup Celery -- finely chopped
• 1 cup Onion -- finely chopped
• 1 Garlic -- clove minced
• 13 3/4 ounces Can condensed beef broth
• 2 cups Water
• 1/4 cup Tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Parsley flakes or
• 1/4 cup Fresh parsley -- minced
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground pepper -- freshly
• 2 tablespoons Dry sherry

Preparation:

• Wash mushrooms, slice half of them and set aside.
• Chop remaining mushrooms and saute them in 1 tb margarine in a large pot.
• Add all the vegetables (except the sliced mushrooms) and cook 6-7 minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in all other ingredients except the mushrooms, the remaining margarine, and the sherry.
• Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Puree soup in the blender or food proscessor fitted with steel blade.
• Saute the sliced mushrooms in the remaining 1 tb of margarine.
• Return pureed soup to pot, and sauteed mushrooms and sherry.
• Reheat over moderate heat, stirring.