Savory White Bean and Mushroom Soup

I had some dried porcini leftover from another recipe I ended up not making, and a container of mushrooms I wanted to make into a soup or sauce, but we are out of cream and have very little milk, so I made up a little something for lunch today. Hearty, flavorful, delicious!

INGREDIENTS
2oz dried mushrooms of choice (I had porcini but a blend is a good choice, too)
4 Tbsp butter
1 8oz container whole or sliced fresh mushrooms of choice, sliced (also porcini for me)
1 shallot minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 19oz can Cento white kidney beans or similar of choice
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk (or skip if you wish)
2 Tbsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put dried mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and pour hot water over them to cover (boiling works, but not necessary). Push gently down with a fork to submerge them and let soak while you do other steps.
2. Add butter to pan over medium heat and melt. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 7-9 minutes until browning and cooked.
3. Meanwhile, mince garlic and shallot. Add chicken stock and undrained can of beans to a second pot and warm over low heat. Add a little salt and 1 Tbsp thyme, stir to combine and leave warm until needed.
4. Add flour to pan of mushrooms and stir to combine about a minute, thickening any juices and clinging to mushrooms.
5. Add the shallot and garlic to the mushrooms along with the Tbsp of olive oil. Stir frequently over medium-low heat, softening the shallot and garlic without allowing anything to burn.
6. Put some paper towel or coffee filter in a fine mesh sieve, then strain the liquid from the rehydrated mushrooms into to pan with the mushroom mix. Squeeze to get excess out, then add rehydrated mushrooms to rest of the mushrooms. Reduce heat on mushrooms to medium-low. 
7. Remove 1 cup of the bean and chicken stock mixture to another bowl or large wide mouth jar. Take 1 cup of the mushroom mix and add to this. Pour 1 cup milk in and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
8. Mix together all parts--the mushroom mixture, the beans and stock, and the bean/mushroom blend, stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve up and enjoy!

This recipe made a little over four hearty portions. I ate some, stored some in the fridge for tomorrow, and put the rest in a freezer bag, pressed flat and put in freezer to have another day this winter.