Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 600 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 15 g dried porcini
• 50 g butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• a few sprigs of thyme
• 700 ml vegetable stock
• 100 ml double cream
• a squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Soak the porcini

   Cover the porcini with 250 ml boiling water for 15 minutes. Keep the liquid but leave the grit behind at the bottom of the bowl — that soaking water carries more mushroom flavour than the mushrooms do.

   15 min

2. Brown the mushrooms properly

   Fry the fresh mushrooms in the butter over a high heat in two batches. They will release water first; keep going past that point until they are actually browning. This is the step that separates mushroom soup from grey water.

   15 min

3. Aromatics

   Set aside a spoonful of the browned mushrooms for the top, then add the onion, garlic and thyme to the pan and cook until soft.

   8 min

4. Simmer

   Add the stock, the chopped porcini and their strained liquid, and simmer for 15 minutes.

   15 min

5. Blend and finish

   Blend until smooth, stir in the cream, and sharpen with a squeeze of lemon. The acid is what stops a creamy mushroom soup tasting flat and heavy.