Creamy Asparagus Soup with Mushrooms and Gruyère Croûtes

Ingredients

• 10 ounce shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced thin, or 1/2 pound regular white mushrooms including the stems, sliced
• 1 quart canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• ¼ pound Gruyère, shredded
• 6 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• ¹/₃ cup long-grain rice
• 16 ½- inch slices baguette
• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
• + 4 more ingredients
• • 1 large onion, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 quart water

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pot and set aside. Reduce the heat to moderately ...

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