Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup © kvalifood.com

Mushroom soup is made from mushrooms sautéed with shallots, thickened with flour and stock, and finished with cream and lemon juice. It is a straightforward soup with good depth that works as a starter or a light lunch. Sherry is optional but rounds the soup off nicely.

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings

  • 1/2 kg mushrooms
  • 20 g butter (or margarine)
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/4 l stock
  • salt, white pepper
  • optional: 1/2–1 dl double cream
  • 1–2 tbsp lemon juice
  • optional: 1–2 tbsp dry sherry

Accompaniment

  • baguette (or white bread)

Directions

Mushrooms and onion

Clean the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Sweat the finely chopped shallots in the butter until soft but not browned, 3–4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry over medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to colour.

Thickening and simmering

Sprinkle over the flour and stir until fully absorbed. Add the hot stock a little at a time, stirring constantly. Season with salt and white pepper. Leave the soup to simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes.

Finishing

Stir the cream into the soup. Taste and adjust with lemon juice and sherry if using.

Serve

Serve immediately with baguette or grilled cheese toasts.

Notes

  • Let the mushroom liquid evaporate completely before adding the flour — it concentrates the flavour and prevents a thin, watery soup
  • Lemon juice is important for lifting the earthy notes from the mushrooms
  • Reserve a few mushroom slices to use as a garnish when serving
  • Grilled cheese toasts: spread slices of white bread with butter, top with cheese and grill at 435°F (225°C) for 6–8 minutes
  • Sherry gives the soup a slightly more elegant character — use a dry white sherry