Mushroom and Tomatillo Soup

1/2 pound of tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
4 medium cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup of lightly packed coarsely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled (the Mexican variety is best for this soup)
4 cups of a very fine vegetable broth
1/4 cup of long grain white rice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
12 medium cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
Salt to taste

Heat a medium dry skillet over medium heat and pan roast the tomatillos and the garlic. Turn everything occasionally until the tomatillos are softened and they, and the garlic, are lightly browned in spots.

Transfer the roasted tomatillos as they become ready to a food processor. As the garlic becomes ready, remove it from the skillet, allow it to cool enough to handle, and then squeeze the "meat" from the husk into the processor.

When all the tomatillos and squeezed garlic cloves are in the processor, add the cilantro, the oregano, and 1 cup of the broth.

Blend everything until smooth. Transfer the blended ingredients to a large saucepan.

Add the remaining broth and the rice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is tender, perhaps 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they start to brown, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Transfer the onion and mushrooms to the soup pot.

Season with the salt.

Simmer the soup for 10 minutes or so to allow all the flavors to marry.

Serve with flour tortillas.