Starters
Field mushroom soup with crunchy garlic croutons
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 675g (1 ½ lb) field or open cup button mushrooms, chopped
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 50g (2 oz) (4 tbsp) Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 900ml (1 ½ pints) (3 cups) vegetable stock (from a stock cube is fine)
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 120ml (4fl oz) (½ cup) cream
- 2 tsp chopped fresh chives
For the garlic croutons
- 50g (2 oz) (4 tbsp) Kerrygold butter
- 2 thick slices sourdough bread, crusts removed and diced
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Autumn beckons with this earthy wholesome soup. Forage for wild field mushrooms in forests and fields but be sure to use a guide book. Back at home, this soup only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish. The lemon juice helps to bring out the mushrooms’ natural, savoury flavour. For a healthy twist, omit the cream and use a little extra stock.
- To start, sprinkle the mushrooms with the lemon juice. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for a few minutes until softened but not coloured. Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Keep stirring.
- Gradually pour the stock into the pan, add the nutmeg, season to taste and bring to the boil. They say a watched pot never boils but you need to keep an eye on this one.
- Turn the heat down, cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are completely tender. Blend to a purée in a food processor or with a hand held blender. Return to a clean pan, season to taste and stir in most of the cream, reserving a little to garnish.
- Meanwhile, make the garlic croutons. Heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan and once it has melted and is starting to sizzle, stir in the garlic. Next, tip in the sourdough bread cubes, tossing to coat. Season to taste and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Tip on to kitchen paper to drain off any excess butter.
- To serve, reheat the soup gently, then ladle into warmed bowls and add swirls of the reserved cream. Garnish with the crunchy garlic croutons and add a sprinkling of chives to each one.
