Ah yes, a humble soup – we admit that we’re serial offenders when it comes to making soup, but it’s easy, nutritious, and the window for cold-weather comfort food here in the sub-tropics is so short! So, here’s a delicious mushroom soup recipe that’s filling and fabulous, and we think you’ll love it – not just because cooking in butter smells incredible!
INGREDIENTS
- 500g mushrooms, sliced (the button kind, Swiss brown, or a mix of both)
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 big clove of garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock; either works
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
- Fresh, crusty bread, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan on the stove top over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until it’s soft, then add the garlic and thyme and
gently cook for another 30 seconds (don’t burn the garlic; it will taste horrid and your friends
will pull ugly faces!). - Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until they’re nice and golden.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mix and let it cook for about 20-30 seconds to combine it.
- Gradually pour in the stock, stirring continuously to keep it smooth, because lumps are not fun
to eat. - Bring your soup to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer it on low for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup until it’s lovely and smooth – you can use a stick blender or carefully pop it in a benchtop blender. Return it to the pan.
- Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper, and then gently heat the soup for a few moments, but don’t spoil it by boiling it!
- Serve in a big bowl, topped with fresh parsley, with lots of crusty bread on the side.
Optional tip: You can set aside a handful of your cooked mushrooms at step 3 and add them to the soup after you’ve blended it for a little more texture. You can also add a dollop of sour cream to serve, because we think sour cream makes everything taste better.
