Serves 4
| Ingredients | |
| 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil1 large onion, peeled, chopped 1kg mushrooms, wiped clean, quartered with stems left on, but dry end bits cut off; reserve 1/4 cup to sauté for the garnish 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ tsp nutmeg 2 tbsp chopped parsley ½ tsp dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh |
generous grind of pepper ½ tsp salt 1L mushroom, chicken or vegetable stock – see my recipes ½ cup crème fraîche plus extra for garnish Garnish A sprig of thyme, finely diced sautéed mushrooms and an extra dollop of crème fraîche Parmigiano Reggiano – optional |
Place butter with the olive oil and onions in a heavy-based pot and sauté the onions for 10 minutes, on low to medium heat, without colouring; cook until just a light golden colour. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add more butter and olive oil to the pan, heat and when sizzling hot, add the mushrooms, in small batches. Cook each batch for about 5 minutes until beautifully golden, set aside and repeat until all the mushrooms are golden brown. Add garlic, nutmeg, parsley, thyme, pepper and salt.
Return onions and mushrooms to a large pot and cook for 5 minutes or so.
Add broth and bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 -60 minutes. The longer the soup is simmered the more intense the flavour.
Process until the soup is chunky with tiny pieces of mushroom, rather than smooth. If you prefer a smoother and creamier soup, process it longer and put it through a fine sieve.
Just before serving, reheat soup, then stir in the crème fraîche. Garnish with an extra dollop of crème fraîche, a teaspoon of finely diced sautéed mushrooms and the sprig thyme.
