So the word ‘broth’ does conjure up Autumn/Winter etc, etc – look aside, it’s friggin freezin’! This soup is really warming but paradoxically on a warm day it has the opposite effect, bit like thermal underwear 🙂

This is heavy on the dried Porcini’s by the way so you can expect a sizable and earthy flavour whack from it and because it’s so rich you don’t need a great deal of it. The other element here is a Crouton (of sorts) with a blob of double cream on it…..mmmmmmm blobby.

Enough for 6 soupers
450 grams of button mushrooms or a mix or chestnut and button.
1 small onion sliced
1 clove of garlic minced
1 sprig of Thyme
1/2 cup of dried Porcini mushrooms soaked in boiling water for 20mins
Flat leaf parsley
Squeeze-ette of lemon juice
Cream
1.5 litres of chicken stock

Kick off by roughly chopping 1/2 the mushrooms, lash into a soup pot with the onions and garlic – oil up and sweat way, way, way down until you have 1/3 of the contents you started with.

If you fancy a bit of pomp and circumstance you can sling in a splash of Brandy and set fire to it at this stage….if you feel like it.

Next in with the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 20minutes. To finish bung in the rest of the mushrooms and the Porcinis (with the straining liquid – leaving the grit behind), simmer for another 5 minutes then into a blitzer.

Season as you go, cream at the end of cooking to your own taste and serve with a crouton to give bite and texture.

Serve in a weird green bowl/cup…..which was the only clean dish in the ENTIRE house…my fault by the way.