CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
Cream of mushroom soup is a smooth, savoury soup made from mushrooms, cream (or milk), stock and a thickening agent like roux or flour, blended to create a rich, velvety texture and often flavoured with onions, garlic, herbs and a splash of wine. It originated in Western cuisine, popularised in European kitchens where chefs combined local mushrooms with dairy to create comforting sauces and soups, and later became ubiquitous in North America in the 20th century through canned versions that cemented it as a pantry staple and versatile cooking ingredient.
My version is as classic as it gets. Lots of delicious mushrooms, cooked down leeks and of course that beloved creaminess but from vegan coconut, making this a vegan hit. My favourite part is the topping, where you can really go to town with whatever you like, but the crunchy porcini mushrooms give the soup some texture and layers, along with the touch of spicy smokiness from the paprika, bringing everything up a notch.
CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
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CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP 〰️
Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 4
1 onion, diced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 leek, washed, thinly sliced
2 tbl sp cornflour
750gm large white mushrooms, rough chopped
10 fresh thyme sprigs (just the leaf)
1 cup white wine
1 ltr vegetable/mushroom stock
400ml coconut cream
150gm oyster mushrooms
Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Garnish: Paprika, fresh thyme, EVOO, crunchy bread.
Begin with a large pot on medium heat with a few slugs of oil. Add in onion, shallot and leek and sweat down with some salt for 6 minutes. Add a bit more oil and add in cornflour, mushrooms and thyme and cook everything together with some salt for about 10 minutes to get some sear on the mushrooms. Add in white wine to deglaze and cook out by 3/4. Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for 20 minutes.
After simmer, blitz smooth until smooth before finishing with most of the coconut cream, reserving some for garnish and cook altogether for another 5 minutes or until you’ve reached the thickness desired. Season with salt to taste.
For fried oyster mushrooms, add a layer of oil in a pan on medium heat and add the mushrooms in, turning once caramelise and browned.
To plate, add ladles on mushroom soup into bowl, top with fried oyster mushrooms, fresh thyme, drizzle of coconut cream and EVOO, and a sprinkle of paprika. Enjoy with crunchy bread.