Mushroom Soup
One more thing to do with all of my mushrooms. This one used 1 kg of mushrooms and made a fair amount of soup. It was lovely. Excess can be frozen before the cream/ricotta is added.
This quantity would seem to serve about 12. The three of us will eat it over a few days, there is so much here. It could also be used as a pasta sauce with a bit of bacon.
MUSHROOM SOUP – version 1
Ingredients
- Olive oil to cook the onions in
- 2 finely chopped onions, or leek and onion mixed
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 kg mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbs dried mushrooms, crushed
- 1.5 l (6 cups) vegetable/chicken stock / of this about 1 cup white wine
- 250 ml (1 cup) ricotta / cream cheese / cream or a mixture, depending on desired calorie content
To Serve: - lemon zest, ground pepper and salt rubbed together to make a flavoured salt
- lemon wedges
- Chopped parsley to serve
- Crusty wholemeal bread rolls, to serve
Method
- Heat the pan then add olive oil and the onion, leek, garlic and thyme and cook slowly, stirring, until the onion is soft.
- Add the mushrooms and and cook, stirring, until the moisture begins to come out of the mushrooms. At this point add the powdered dried mushrooms and white wine and continue to cook. When most of the moisture is absorbed add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes.
- Remove half the soup from the pan and blend the remaining soup in the pan with a stick mixer. Pour the unblended soup back into the pan and bring it back to the boil.
- Add the parsley and cream/ricotta/cream cheese, and season to taste.
Finish off to serve:
Lemon & Pepper Salt, Parsley, Lemon Wedges
Ladle the soup among serving bowls. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve with bread rolls, if desired.
MUSHROOM SOUP – version 2
This is my favourite of the two recipes, it is creamier and less “mushroomy” but for a change both are very good.
Ingredients
Mushrooms chopped and sliced for a change of texture
- Olive oil and butter to cook the onions in – 2 tbs of each
- 2 finely chopped onions, or leek and onion mixed
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (alternatively, for a different flavour 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg)
- 1 kg mushrooms, some coarsely chopped and sliced, and some finely chopped (to give texture)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbs butter for the white sauce
- 3 tbs plain flour
- 200 g light cream cheese / cream / evaporated milk / ricotta / milk or a mixture (to give creamy texture, depending on desired calorie content)
- salt or stock powder and pepper to taste
To Serve (as above):
- lemon zest, ground pepper and salt rubbed together to make a flavoured salt
- lemon wedges
- Chopped parsley
- Crusty wholemeal bread rolls, to serve
Method
- Heat 2 tbs butter and olive oil in a large pot. Add in onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook slowly until the onions are soft. Add the thyme.
- Add enough stock to cover the mushrooms and continue cooking slowly until flavours have blended and the sauce is tasty.
- Meanwhile make the roux (white sauce). Melt butter and add the flour off the heat. Stir until there are no lumps. Return to the heat, stirring until frothy, then remove from the heat and gradually add milk or stock, stirring so there are no lumps (a stick mixer can help if disaster falls). Return to the heat until it thickens – add creamy content (cream, cream cheese, ricotta evaporated milk).
- Add the creamy mixture to the mushroom and onion mixture and continue stirring.
- Return to the heat and serve.
- Either stir in freshly chopped parsley or present as a side and let everyone dress their own.