Mushroom soup
I'm a big fan of mushrooms and there's nothing more autumnal than a warm bowl of mushroom soup. As a child I used to go mushroom picking in the fields and woods near where I lived in Ireland. I loved this time of year as there were mushrooms, nuts and berries in abundance. I used to come home with my haul of mushrooms and my Gran used to pick out the largest one, place it on top of the range cooker and pour a little bit of milk, add a knob of butter onto the mushroom and add salt and pepper. The mushroom would slow cook and absorb the milk, butter, salt and pepper, it was pretty tasty.
Good memories to have!
250g chestnut mushrooms - chopped
2 portobello mushrooms - chopped
50g chanterelles - chopped
5g dried porcini rehydrated in warm water
3 shallots chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 slices stale bread
10g parsely chopped
5g thyme chopped
1 bay leaf
Sprig rosemary chopped
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 litre veg or chicken stock
Juice 1/4 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
50ml cream
Oil for frying
Sauté the shallots on a medium heat until soft, add the garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes
Strain the porcini (retain the water, to add later) and add mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins
Add the herbs and stir through
Tear the bread into chunks and throw into the mushroom mix
Add the stock and strained porcini water bring to the boil, and then lowering the heat simmer for 15 - 20 mins
Allow the soup to cool slightly before pouring into a blender or food processor and blend until it is smooth
Return to the pan and add the cream, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir to combine
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