Sandys Gourmet Mushroom Soup Recipes

SANDYS GOURMET MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in large pan. Add onion and leeks and allow to soften without browning.
• Add rosemary and half the mushrooms. fry gently until soft, then remove the rosemary and stir in the flour.
• When well mixed, add vegetable stock slowly, stirring constantly. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then puree in blender until smooth.
• Return to saucepan, add remaining mushrooms, milk, soy sauce and sugar.
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add sherry.
• Serve with a swirl of whipped cream.
• A garnish of fried onions is also very good.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Method
• In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.
• After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen?
• When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately.
• Improvisation
• To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried cèpes or morels, which have been soaked until soft, drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float on top in each bowl.
• And if you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving. Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it.

CHEF JOHN'S CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
• Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
• Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
• Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices and a few thyme leaves.

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot set over high heat, bring the broth to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and mushrooms, and cook, without adding color, for 6 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and thyme, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.
• Gradually whisk the hot stock into the leek and mushroom mixture, making sure to break up any lumps. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Put the soup in batches into a blender and puree. Pass the blended soup through a fine strainer into a large saucepan. Put the soup over medium-high heat, add the cream, and return to a boil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
• This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. Cream-based soups do not freeze well, as they tend to separate when being reheated.