You may be familiar with reconstituting dried mushrooms, but instead of discarding the liquid after plumping up the mushrooms, why not use it to flavor a broth? Instead of pouring hot water over the dried mushrooms, simmer them in a bit more water on the stovetop and strain that delicious liquid to use in soups later. And of course, you’ll still want to save the mushrooms to chop up and add to your soup!
The yield on your broth may vary a bit, depending on how much it reduces while simmering, but always feel free to stretch it a bit by adding more water if your recipe calls for a little more than you’ve got.
Yields about 3 ½ cups broth and about 1/2 cup chopped reconstituted mushrooms.
¼ ounce dried mushrooms (porcini or shiitake or any combination)
5 cups water
1. Put the mushrooms and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 12 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the liquid through a cheesecloth or coffee filter to remove any grit into a glass measure, reserving the mushrooms separately.
3. Chop the mushrooms finely if desired and use the mushrooms and/or the liquid in your recipe. You can also refrigerate both the mushrooms and the broth for up to two days if not using right away.
