This recipe harks back to the times when I used to visit the Monday outdoor market at the lovely town of Bakewell in Derbyshire. There was a fruit and vegetable stall that used to sell off mushrooms by the basket at an irresistible price later in the day, so I used to make that my last port of call before heading home. I love mushrooms cooked any way, but soup is a favourite of mine. There are lots of different recipes around of course, but this is one I’ve developed myself over the years and it probably contains twice the quantity of mushrooms than most recipes. Also, because we all like this soup so much, it makes enough to feed 4 – 6 hungry people! Feel free to reduce the quantities.
You will need:
75g of butter
75g of plain flour
850mls of chicken stock
850mls of milk
600g mushrooms, chopped into fairly small pieces
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
100mls of cream
1½ teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
Method:
- melt the butter in a large roomy pan and then add the flour
- mix the butter and flour together well and cook this mixture over the heat for a minute or two to cook the flour
- add the stock and milk to the pan and bring it to gradually to the boil, stirring all the time to prevent lumps forming. If you prefer, you could add the liquid a little at a time – this makes “lump prevention” a little easier!
- add the mushrooms and stir everything together
- put a lid on the pan and simmer the soup for 10 minutes
- blend the soup with a stick blender to the consistency you prefer then add the cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and then lastly salt and pepper to your taste
Pour the soup into bowls, add a fancy swirl of cream, a snip or two of fresh herbs and savour the lovely flavour of autumn!
Cakes, Bakes and Simple Suppers 