Mixed Mushroom Soup

 I used a mix of wild , brown and portobello mushrooms - very tasty. This amount serves 4 

·         Olive oil

·         400g mixed mushrooms, sliced (shitake, oyster, brown)

·         25g dried porcini mushrooms

·         1 onion chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, chopped

·         Thyme sprigs

·         200 ml cream or milk

·         1 litre vegetable stock

·         sea salt

·         freshly ground black pepper

1.     Pour boiling water on the porcini mushrooms to just cover them.

2.     Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic and thyme. Fry for 5 minutes.

3.     Add the mixed mushrooms and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavours. Then add the dried porcini mushrooms reserving the juice and fry for a few minutes.

4.     Pour in the stock, reserved juice and milk/cream, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

5.     Carefully whiz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.

6.     Make some croutons by frying bread cubes in some butter.

7.     Serve soup with some chives and the croutons.

Based on recipe from BBC Good Food