Name: Mushroom and thyme soup with Roquefort croutons
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 20 gm dried porcini; 60 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 70 ml olive oil; 1 leek, thinly sliced; 10 garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped, and 8 bruised with the flat of a knife; 750 gm flat mushrooms, coarsely chopped; 12 thyme sprigs, plus extra to serve; 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock; 200 gm crème fraîche; Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon; ½ baguette, thinly sliced diagonally; 300 gm pine or other mushrooms, halved or quartered if large; 1 tsp red wine vinegar; Roquefort or other blue cheese, to serve

Mushroom and thyme soup with Roquefort croutons

Mushrooms and blue cheese add up to a powerful combination of umami flavour that's guaranteed to chase away any winter chills.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

30M

Total

50M

We love a smooth mushroom soup, but we also love the meaty texture of whole mushrooms, so here we’ve gone for both. For the mushrooms to top the soup, use whatever variety is best on the day – flat mushrooms or Swiss browns, or, if you’re lucky enough to find them, pine mushrooms or trompettes work beautifully.

Ingredients

20 gm dried porcini

60 gm butter, coarsely chopped

70 ml olive oil

1 leek, thinly sliced

10 garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped, and 8 bruised with the flat of a knife

750 gm flat mushrooms, coarsely chopped

12 thyme sprigs, plus extra to serve

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

200 gm crème fraîche

Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon

½ baguette, thinly sliced diagonally

300 gm pine or other mushrooms, halved or quartered if large

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Roquefort or other blue cheese, to serve

Method

1.Soak porcini in 100ml boiling water in a bowl until softened (10-15 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, heat half the butter and half the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add the leek and chopped garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent (4-5 minutes). Stir in flat mushrooms and half the thyme sprigs and sauté until beginning to soften (6-8 minutes), then add stock along with porcini mushrooms and soaking liquid and season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook until well flavoured (10-15 minutes). Discard thyme, add crème fraiche and purée with a hand-held blender (or in batches in a food processor) until smooth. Stir in half the lemon rind and keep warm.

3.Preheat grill to high and toast baguette slices, turning once, until golden brown (2-3 minutes).

4.Heat remaining butter and remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add pine mushrooms cap down, then add the bruised garlic. Season to taste and fry until golden brown (2-3 minutes). Turn mushrooms, add remaining thyme and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and add vinegar and lemon juice.

5.Ladle soup into warm serving bowls and top with pine mushrooms and garlic and buttery pan juices. Scatter with extra thyme and serve hot with croûtons spread with Roquefort.