Cream of Mushroom Soup

I’d never made mushroom soup before, and I hadn’t realised you needed so many mushrooms. Now I understand. What I like about this soup - or better said about this version of it in particular - is that you don’t blend it but use the mushrooms sliced, as they are - and thereby keep a nice bit of bite in the texture. And it looks lovely too, don’t you think?  

Ingredients (for 2 decent-size bowls with a little for seconds):

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 tbsp olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

750g fresh brown button mushrooms, sliced

125mL dry white wine

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

500mL chicken stock

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1 beef bouillon cube

125mL cream

freshly ground black pepper

fresh parsley and thyme to garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large soup pan, heat the butter and oil. When foaming, add the onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. 

2. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 3 more minutes. 

3. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and mix. Cook for another 2 minutes. Then add the stock, crumble the beef bouillon cube over, and season royally with pepper. Cover with a lid, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. 

4. Reduce the heat and stir in the cream. Don’t allow to boil, just mix through and bring back a simmer, then turn off the heat. 

5. Season with some extra pepper to taste. If you ask me, it doesn’t need more salt - but add some at this stage if you disagree. 

6. To serve, mix in the remaining thyme and parsley and top with a sprinkling of fresh pepper. Serve with bread. I found some wonderful garlic basil bread in the neighbourhood and used that - delicious!