Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 cups button mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 pinch dried basil
• 2 -3 tablespoons cream
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• fresh basil leaf, to garnish

Recipe

• 1 pull the caps away from the mushroom stalks.
• 2 finely slice the caps and chop the stalks, keeping the 2 piles separate.
• 3 heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy based saucepan and add the chopped onion, mushroom stalks and 1/2-3/4 of the sliced mushroom caps.
• 4 fry about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, and then cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 5 stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
• 6 gradually add the stock and milk to make a smooth, thin sauce.
• 7 add the basil, and season with salt and pepper.
• 8 bring to the boil and then simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes.
• 9 allow to cool slightly and then pour into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
• 10 melt remaining butter in a heavy based frying pan, and fry the remaining mushrooms over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until they are just tender.
• 11 pour soup into a large clean saucepan and stir in sliced mushrooms.
• 12 heat until very hot but not boiling and add salt and pepper to taste.
• 13 add the cream.
• 14 serve at once garnished with the basil leaves.