Mushroom Soup

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

10g dried porcini mushrooms

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, thinly sliced

1 leek, trimmed, halved, washed, thinly sliced

1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

600g mixed button and Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced

1L vegetable stock

1/3 cup crème fraiche, plus extra to serve

Chopped fresh chives, to serve

Salt and pepper

Method

Place porcini in a small heatproof dish and cover with ½ cup boiling water (from a kettle). Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and leek and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Place two handfuls of mushrooms in a hot pan with extra virgin olive oil and fry until golden brown. Set aside to be used as a garnish for the soup.

Add the remaining mushrooms to the pot with the leaks and onions. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until mushroom has softened.

Add the soaked porcini to the pot, together with the soaking liquid. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and liquid has reduced. Use a stick blender to blitz some of the soup off the heat until smooth, together with 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche. Or for a little texture, reserve some chunks of mushroom and fold through smooth soup.

Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and add the crème fraiche. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the crème fraiche has combined through the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with chives, extra crème fraiche and the fried mushrooms.