It's winter season in Toronto and the thought of leaving the warmth of my condo to gather food for lunch seemed like a treacherous mission I wasn't willing to embark upon. It's times like these, where my knack for "pantry cooking" comes in real handy.

I actually pride myself in being able to rummage through my fridge and pantry for a quick meal that I will actually enjoy. It's almost like I'm on an episode of Food Network's "Chopped" and my kitchen is the studio. Some pseudo gourmet pantry meals that have emerged from my kitchen are tuna spaghetti, lentil curries, chocolate slathered crepes, luscious omelettes, to name a few.

This was a day I was feeling poorly and soup seemed like the perfect antidote. However, there was no way I was going to put on winter boots, trek through ice and snow for some soup and opening a can of high-sodium "soup" just wasn't going to cut it for me. Luckily, I found the key ingredients in my pantry staples to make the perfect and creamy Mushroom Soup.

I actually didn't know how to make mushroom soup and this was definitely the first time I've ever made it....but how hard can it be? Mushroom, broth, half & half and some seasonings, right?

It turned out phenomenal! The perfect pantry soup without having to resort to a can.

Ingredients:

About 2 cups of chopped cremini
1 small onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced or run through a zester to get it really fine)
Coupe sprigs of fresh thyme (dry it fine but use sparingly, it's strong. About 1/4 tsp)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 carton of stock (I used chicken here but any will work)
1/4 cup half and half (you can omit this if you want it vegan/dairy-free. It will just be less creamy)
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg

You will need: