Earthy
Woodsy
Nutty
Rich
No, I am not describing my husband!
But if you love mushrooms then you know what I am talking about. Whenever I make this soup I am often asked for the recipe. You will be surprised how easy it is to make. I love how recipes with the least ingredients can taste quite complex. Mushrooms do just that.
You can make this soup a day in advance of when you want to serve it. This gives the soup some time to develop great flavours. And if you really want to up your soup into pretentious (and deliciousness), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the soup just before serving, (or truffle salt if you have some). And please do not omit the dried wild mushrooms, they are loaded with deep flavours and are an essential to this soup. I use a mix of dried porcini, oyster and shiitake. You can usually find dried mushrooms in the produce section at the grocery store in small packages. Any combination of fresh mushrooms work in this recipe.
So, invite some friends over and enjoy this soup with people you love! And don’t forget to give your hubby seconds!
A note on Truffle Oil
When buying truffle oil is important to distinguish between real and synthetic. Most brands make a canola or olive oil blend with truffle flavouring. Real truffle oil is made by adding edible truffles to an olive oil and allowing the flavours to infuse over several days. Look for a high quality truffle oil and be prepared to pay for it. But don’t worry when you see how small the bottle is; you only need a few drops or a drizzle to experience the intense smell and delicious taste.
Oops…I just noticed that I forgot to drizzle the truffle oil for the photo!
Mushroom Soup with Sherry and Truffle Oil
This recipe serves 6
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter, a bit more if needed or a mix of both - if you want to keep if vegan omit the butter
1 ½ pounds of brown mushrooms or a variety of mushrooms
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup dried mushrooms, covered and soaked in warm water for about 15 minutes
5 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
5 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
chives or flat leaf parsley for garnish
a big splash of sherry to taste
truffle oil a few drops to garnish, optional
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Then add the fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms (with the water they were soaking in, taking care not add any of the dirt which may be in the bottom), carrots, thyme and more oil or butter if necessary.
3. Let the mixture cook over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes taking care that the onion doesn’t take on any brown colour.
4. Stir in the water and bring to a boil.
5. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for about an hour.
6. Let soup cool for a few minutes then transfer to a blender or food processor and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do this in stages and remember to hold the blender lid down.
7. 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 with a drizzle of truffle oil and a sprinkle of fresh chives.
Cooks Notes
I do not blend the whole pot of soup, I do about half the soup as I like my soup to have some texture and some sliced mushrooms to bite into.
I like to make this soup a day ahead, I find the flavours more intense. But it is delicious the same day too.
If you are making in advance you may need to add a bit of water when reheating to thin out the soup.