½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4-5 green onions, white and green parts

Salt to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste, optional)

1 ½ pounds mushrooms, sliced or coarsely chopped

⅓ cup medium grain rice

About 4 1/2 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock, or as needed

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce (more to taste)

1 to 2 tablespoons dry sherry, to taste (optional)

½ cup milk or additional stock

Garnish:     Chopped fresh parsley or torn leaves for garnish

Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Drain the shrooms through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract as much flavorful liquid as possible. Rinse in several changes of water and set aside. Use the mushroom soaking water & add water or stock to make 6 cups.    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion and green onion or leek and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender and, about 5 to 8 minutes. Do not brown. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they begin to sweat and smell fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice, stock, bouquet garni, soy sauce and salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni.

In batches, blend the soup until smooth not filling it to the top when working with hot liquid.  Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt, and add pepper and the sherry, if using. Add the milk or another half cup of stock and heat through, stirring. If the soup still seems too thick, thin out a little more but remember to taste and adjust seasoning. Serve in bowls, garnishing each serving with chopped or torn flat-leaf parsley.