One pot wonder....

Soups, easy to make and easy to taste.  Today's recipe is inspired by last night's snowstorm.  I wanted something easy to make, yet comforting and without too many ingredients (I was thinking about the walk home from the store).  Before I share today's recipe I wanted to throw in a piece of an article that a friend shared with me: Fasting has a spiritual purpose, and that purpose is to get your flesh out of the way so that the Spirit of God can move in your life. When a person makes a determination to fast, they are making a determination to remove the obstacles in their life to total submission to the will of God. 
-Bill Winston

Porcini Mushroom Soup

2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups water
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt

Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft. Set aside.
Heat a splash of the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot, saute the shallots for a couple of minutes, then stir in the rosemary and potatoes. Add the remaining olive oil and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, the porcini along with the soaking liquid, the 4 cups of water, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for ten minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste. If the broth is too intense, you may want to add more water a bit at a time. And take care to get the salt right as well, it's important in a simple soup like this.
Serve as is or topped with any number of the ingredients I listed up above.

Enjoy!!

~Knife Out