Creamy Mushroom & Thyme Soup
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40-45 minutes
Ingredients
700g chestnut mushrooms
100g shiitake mushrooms
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
200g tinned potatoes
50g unsalted butter
20g fresh thyme
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
850ml chicken stock
170ml double cream
Method
1. Brown the mushrooms
Slice the mushrooms.
Melt 20g of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add half of the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve released their water and become properly golden and caramelised.
Transfer them to a bowl, then add another 15g butter to the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
Return the rest to the pan.
2. Build the soup
Peel and dice the onion, then add it to the mushrooms.
Cook over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until soft.
Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
Pick the thyme leaves from the woody stems, keeping half aside for serving.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.
Stir through the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
Drain the potatoes, roughly chop any large ones and add them with the chicken stock.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes.
3. Blend
Blend until completely smooth.
Stir through 140ml of the double cream, keeping the remaining 30ml for serving.
Add plenty of black pepper, then taste before adding any salt.
If it’s too thick, loosen it with a splash of water. You want it silky and pourable, but thick enough that the reserved mushrooms will sit nicely on top.
4. Finish the mushrooms
Just before serving, melt the remaining 15g butter in a frying pan.
Add the shiitake mushrooms and toss for 1–2 minutes until hot, glossy and starting to crisp around the edges.
5. Serve
Pour into warm bowls.
Pile the buttery mushrooms into the middle, spoon over a little of the butter from the pan, then finish with the reserved thyme leaves and black pepper.
Drizzle over a little of the reserved cream and gently drag it through the surface.
Serve with a chunk of baguette.