Table for One: Cream of Mushroom Soup

It can be easily achieved by a can of Campbell’s. However, I am never a fan of instant or canned food and especially this could easily make it myself, with chopped mushrooms, homemade chicken stock (if we have some on hand), and rich cream. Tasted a real mushroom soup for the first time (homemade always the best). Those awful tins of mushroom soup just became a distant memory!

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 box fresh mushrooms (white button preferred), clean and sliced
1 portobello, clean and sliced
1/4 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 litre organic chicken or vegetable stock
minced parsley for garnish

Seasoning:
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt to taste
truffle oil (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat a saucepan add a good couple of lugs of olive oil and your fresh mushrooms
2. Stir around very quickly for a minute, then add garlic, shallot, onion and thyme.
3. Sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears. (sauté portobello slices and set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired.)
4. Season to taste, and add stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes.
5. Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
6. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Add salt, pepper, cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste.
9. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.