The decisive moment in mushroom soup is the frying. Mushrooms release their liquid as soon as they hit the pan; if you do not wait for that liquid to evaporate, the mushrooms have effectively been boiled and they leave no flavour in the soup. Be patient until you hear them sizzling.
Ingredients
For the soup
For thickening
Method
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Fry the mushrooms
Heat half the butter over a high heat and add the mushrooms. They will release liquid first; cook for 10 minutes until that liquid has gone completely and the mushrooms are browned.
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Add the onion
Add the rest of the butter, the onion and the garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
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Toast the flour
Scatter in the flour and stir for 2 minutes. The flour will soak up the butter from the mushrooms and disperse without lumps.
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Add the water
Pour in the hot water a little at a time, whisking. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
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Choose the texture
If you like it chunky, leave it as it is; for something velvety, blend half of it and leave the other half in pieces.
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Finish with cream
Add the salt, pepper and cream and heat without boiling. Serve with parsley.
Tips
- Do not wash the mushrooms, wipe them with a damp cloth. Washed mushrooms take up water and will not brown.
- Do not crowd the pan. Too many mushrooms at once create steam and nothing browns; fry them in two batches if you need to.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.