Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 6 oz. mushrooms, a good mix of the more exotic cultivated or wild foraged varieties, if you can, torn or cut into bite-size pieces, and season kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re starting to brown around the edges, 6–8 minutes. Add more olive oil if the pot is looking a little dry (mushrooms really soak it up), followed by the remaining 6 oz. mushrooms, torn or cut into bite-size pieces, and all 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the mushrooms are nicely browned and have started to leave a little fond (the brown, sticky parts where a lot of the flavor is) on the bottom of the pot, another 6–8 minutes.

Add ½ tsp. ground turmeric and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and stir to bloom the spices in the fat for a minute or two. Add 6 cups water or broth (or water plus Better Than Bouillon) and bring to a simmer. Add ¾ cup dried orzo and 2 tsp. fish sauce or soy sauce and season again with salt and pepper.

Simmer until the broth is deeply flavorful and the orzo has cooked through, 15–20 minutes. The end soup should be brothy enough that you can see bits of orzo and mushrooms floating close to the surface—my simmer might not be your simmer, so keep simmering if it’s feeling a little thin.

Once the broth is where you want it and the orzo is good and plumped, add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter to the pot and season again with salt, pepper, and more fish sauce. Divide among bowls and top with more red pepper flakes, some flaky sea salt, and...more butter. Because it looks nice and tastes so good. Do Ahead: This soup can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated, if you want. The orzo will continue to absorb the flavors of the broth and the mushrooms, so one might argue this gets better with age. Thin with water as needed.