Mushroom soup

 

Mushroom soup is lovely and because mushrooms are often something of a luxury, is worth making with extra love and care. There are several variations on the theme, which I give below. The initial recipe is adapted from one of Rose Elliot’s and produces a very elegant concoction, ideal for entertaining. The ones that follow are a little more down to earth.

Butter gives a richer flavour than olive oil.

Use 1/3 seawater to 2/3 fresh, if the sea is clean, and leave out the salt.

 

Serves 4 for a starter, 2 for a main meal

 

Ingredients

 

3 cups mushrooms

1 small onion

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp tarragon

1 tsp green peppercorns, crushed

2½ cups water

(vegan) milk

4 tbsp butter OR 2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp flour

salt

freshly grated nutmeg

hot sauce/cracked black pepper

2 tbsp sherry

Method:

• Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and put them in a large saucepan, together with the quartered onion, garlic clove, tarragon and green peppercorns. Add the water and bring to the boil; leave to simmer for at least 10 minutes to create a stock.
• Pour the liquid through a sieve into a measuring jug and make up to a litre with the milk. Discard the mushroom stalks, etc.
• Put half the butter/olive oil into the saucepan and, when it melts, stir in the flour and mix it for a few moments. Remove the pan from the heat, pour in the contents of the jug and stir until everything is thoroughly blended. Make sure that all the flour and butter mixture is cleared away from the corners of the pan.
• Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring continually. Lower the heat and continue to stir for another 2 or 3 minutes to cook the flour. Put to one side.
• Slice the mushrooms and fry them lightly in the remaining half of the butter. When they’re softened, add them to the milk mixture in the saucepan.
• Reheat to a gentle simmer while carefully seasoning with the salt, nutmeg and hot sauce/cracked black pepper
• Simmer for a further 3 or 4 minutes to let the flavours blend. Better still, make the soup several hours before you need it and let it stand, with a lid on, until you want to eat it. Reheat just to boiling and serve with a dollop of sherry in each bowl. 

Variations:

• For a simpler and quicker soup, dice the onion and garlic and fry it in the butter until soft. Chop the mushrooms and cook them for a few minutes. Add 1 tbsp cornflour, 2 cups water and 2 cups milk. Stir until the cornflour is dissolved and then add the tarragon and green peppercorns. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, season and then simmer for 5 minutes. You can still serve this with the sherry!
• Try making a Lentil and Mushroom soup: Add half a cup of whole lentils.  Use a standard onion, garlic clove, half the butter or olive oil, the tarragon and green peppercorns, 4 cups water and seasoned salt. Fry the vegetables, add the tarragon and green peppercorns, then throw in the lentils and cook under pressure for 10 minutes. Mash the soup with a potato masher or stick blender and then season with the salt.
• For Mushroom and Potato soup: use a chopped onion, 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 4 chopped potatoes, a litre of water, salt and pepper. Fry the vegetables, add the water, bring to pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Mash lightly to thicken the soup and season. You can substitute milk for up to half the water if you want; or stir in cream after the soup is cooked.
• Use brandy instead of sherry

Notes:

• While this soup is also good with oyster mushrooms, I don’t recommend cremini, portobello or Swiss mushrooms, which make the soup too dark.
• To make this soup gluten free, use 1 tbsp cornflour instead of the flour.