Cream of mushroom soup

I usually do not like making cream of "anything" soup for health reasons; there are a host of wonderful soups that are healthy and just as delicious. But occasionally, a client asks me to do so, and as a chef, I am challenged to put aside my biases and make a soup that is still relatively healthy.

Mushroom soups are always wonderfully flavoured. The sautéing and slow simmering techniques bring out the deep forest flavours, resulting in a deeply flavoured soup. I used button mushrooms here, but you can add a few dried or fresh mushrooms (oyster, chanterelle, shiitake, porcini, or another of your choice) of any variety for a deeper or more nuanced flavour.

This simple soup has wonderful flavours and is always enjoyed by my guests. The mushroom "umami" is complimented by the basil, and the smooth soup is textured by the fried mushrooms. Layers of flavours and wonderful texture make this soup delicious and perfect for those cold days.

This was one of my early cookbooks; I have cooked at least half of its recipes. The soups are from around the world, including delicious purées like this one and elaborate one-dish meals. This is one of those books that will make you fall in love with soup!

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 lb button or cremini mushrooms

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried basil

3 cups water, vegetable stock or chicken stock

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons cream + to drizzle

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Fresh basil to garnish

Take 3/4 of the mushrooms and all the stems and roughly chop. Save the caps of the rest of the mushrooms for garnish.

Heat the butter in a soup pot and add the onions. Sauté on medium heat with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, but do not allow them to take on any colour.

Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and continue to sauté until the liquids have emerged. Close the pot and simmer with the mushroom juices for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms look cooked; they should no longer be white.

Add the flour and basil, mix in, and toss for 2 minutes. Add the water or stock and milk, and stir to form a light sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes in a closed pot, stirring every 4-5 minutes. If you feel the liquids are too much to make a soup with a thin consistency, leave the pot open. When done, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool.

While the soup is cooling, cook the mushroom caps. Cut the mushroom caps into tiny dice. Add the butter to a frying pan, add the mushrooms, and sauté on medium heat with a pinch of salt and pepper. The mushrooms will give out their juices and will fry. Fry till lightly golden. As a variation, you can add a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar and toss the mushrooms. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Purée the soup with a hand blender or in a small blender until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt. You want a soup with a light consistency, like light cream.

Serve hot topped with a spoon of the sautéed mushrooms and a garnish of fresh basil.