SERENA’S GLUTEN-FREE MUSHROOM SOUP
My partner’s mother Serena left us a couple of her hand-written recipe books from long ago, one of which contains this simple recipe for a delicious mushroom soup.
Serena’s Mushroom Soup is at its best if you can find big fresh flat mushrooms that are full of flavour.
And it’s so warm and satisfying on a wintry day it has since become one of our favourites.
Jan
SERENA’S MUSHROOM SOUP
Serves 8
2 medium onions, finely diced (or the equivalent of shallots)
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced (optional)
700 gm large flat mushrooms, portobello if available, roughly chopped
120 gm unsalted butter
900 ml rich chicken stock, home-made ideally
2 bay leaves
60 gm corn flour
1.2 litres full cream milk
Sea salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper
160 ml cream
Place half the butter into a large saucepan and bring it to a sizzle. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Next add the stock and bay leaves and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Discard the bay leaves and add the cooled soup to a food processor to blend, not too finely. (You may need to do this in two batches.)
Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl.
Place 200ml of the milk into a jug. Spoon in the corn flour and stir the slurry well to remove any lumps.
Heat the remaining 60gm of butter in the empty saucepan.
Add the remaining litre of milk to the butter and stirring, bring gently to the boil, then add the milk and corn flour slurry and keep stirring until the milk has thickened.
Finally add the cooled mushroom mixture into the hot milk and stir to combine.
Add sea salt to taste and lots of black pepper.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish with a tablespoon of cream swirled around each plate.