October is the best month for button and chestnut mushrooms, and this soup takes about 50 minutes and one pot. A potato thickens it in place of flour, so the flavour stays clean. The cream goes in at the very end. Seared mushrooms and golden croutons go on top.
Ingredients
- 600 gbutton and chestnut mushrooms (mixed)
- 1 (150 g)onion
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 1 medium (200 g)potato
- 40 gbutter
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
- 800 mlvegetable or chicken stock
- 150 mlcooking cream
- 4 sprigsfresh thyme
- 4 slices (about 100 g)country bread
- 2 tbspfinely chopped parsley
- to tastesalt
- to tasteblack pepper
Method
Prepare the mushrooms
Wipe the button and chestnut mushrooms with a damp cloth. Do not soak them in water. Cut them into thin slices and set 100 g aside for the topping.
Fry the onion
Heat 20 g of the butter and the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook it for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the crushed garlic for half a minute.
Sear the mushrooms
Turn up the heat and add 500 g of the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water has boiled off and the mushrooms start to turn golden at the edges.
Do not overcrowd the pot, and stir only now and then. Mushrooms that fry in a dry pot taste richer than those that stew in their own liquid.
Cook the soup
Add the potato, cut into 1.5 cm cubes, along with the thyme and the stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes, until the potato mashes easily with a fork.
Blend
Take out the thyme sprigs. Blend the soup with a stick blender for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth.
If you use a countertop blender, fill it no more than halfway and leave the lid slightly open. Otherwise the hot steam can blow it off.
Add the cream
Put the soup back on low heat, pour in the cream and stir. Heat for another 3 to 4 minutes without letting it boil, then season with salt and black pepper.
Fry the topping
Heat the remaining 20 g of butter in a frying pan over high heat and sear the 100 g of reserved mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add the bread cubes and fry for another 2 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve
Ladle the soup into deep bowls, top with the mushrooms and croutons, and sprinkle with parsley.
What to serve with it
Serve it with a rocket salad and lemon dressing, which freshens the palate after the cream.
Per serving (approximate): 330 kcal · protein 10 g · fat 20 g · carbohydrates 30 g