Velvety Mushroom Soup

If you're a fan of mushrooms, you'll really love this soup. Because the low-calorie fungi are your main ingredients, they offer beneficial nutrients like selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin D. Finishing off the dish with lemon will make it a winner, while the Italian parsley promises to be a clean, fresh addition perfect for spring. Incredibly simple and low maintenance, this recipe is about enhancing the mushrooms' flavor and letting it shine.

Ingredients (Use Organic When Possible)

Serves 4-6

• 2 lbs mixed mushrooms (use half shiitake and half button), halved
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 8 sprigs of thyme, leaves pulled off
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 handful Greek feta cheese (optional)
• 1 small handful Italian parsley leaves
• Maldon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss the mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and about a half a cup of olive oil. Then put them on a tray and place under the broiler. The objective is to get some nice color on them and bring out a more intense flavor.

2. Let them cook for about 15 minutes. This will depend a lot on your oven—don't let them burn, but nice and brown is good.

3. When the mushrooms are colored, put them in a saucepan over low heat. This is important: Don't throw away any of the juices or oil left on the tray; it’s where a lot of the soup's flavor will come from! Add the onion and garlic and move around in the pan for another 5 minutes. If you feel it's too dry, you can add a touch more olive oil.

4. Next, add the juices leftover from the pan (even if it seems like a little) and just enough water or vegetable stock to cover the mushrooms. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. All of these steps are helping develop flavor.

5. Time to blend the soup! Blend until very smooth. When you think it's smooth enough, blend even more to take it one stop further. This is what will make it velvety. Afterwards pour it back in the saucepan and check seasoning. It'll probably need a bit more salt and black pepper. Then add the lemon juice and give a little taste again.

6. When you're ready to eat, pour the hot soup into bowls and top with a bit of good quality Greek feta and a few Italian parsley leaves.

What are your fave mushroom recipes? Share them in the comments!

~ Chef Jane Coxwell