Mushroom Soup – Jewel of the Forest

Mushroom soup – jewel of the forest.

I tasted my first real mushroom soup in the late 70’s when a friend  invited me down to his cottage in county Wicklow. He had spent the day foraging in the damp woods and a basket filled with mushrooms covered in earth and leaves sat on the old pine kitchen table. A warm cozy peat fire was burning slowly in the hearth and the air smelled faintly of heather.

Sean cracked open a couple of bottles of Guinness and we pulled up our chairs around the fire. He expertly poured the porter into the glass and we talked till the sun went down and our stomachs growled. It was time to make supper. Mushroom soup – jewel of the forest was on the menu. 

Sean handed me a small brush to brush the mushrooms clean of the earth they grew in and I got busy. The moment stood still and a memory came to me of visiting my great grandmother in Arklow as a small child, and searching for the fairy ring of toadstools at the end of her country garden.

My mother bought me a book on fairies that summer called the Fairy Tales of Ireland by Sinead De Valera. It had stories of good fairies and the feared Pooka which brought about nightmares to a gullible child. I believed in magic.

Here is a cool site about amazing unusual mushrooms. Check it out.

I still believe in magic. I believe in the laws of attraction and it sure feels like magic. I’ve seen friends blossom and grow and prosper with this belief. Just think about it – our thoughts are so powerful and attract whatever we think be it positive or negative.

Do you do believe in the laws of attraction?

Getting back to the Mushroom soup – jewel of the forest. There is no forest here in the desert to forage for our supper. So a trip to the market will suffice. You can purchase either a pound of Crimini mushrooms or white button mushrooms. Sometimes our market sells organic baby Bella’s which would be fine too.

Mushroom soup

• 1 pound  Crimini or white button mushrooms, brushed clean and finely chopped
• 1  onion super-finely chopped about 4 oz
• 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 oz flour
• sea salt and fresh white pepper.
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups whole organic milk warmed
• 2 1/2 cups hot chicken stock or vegetable stock
• dash of fresh cream  (optional) finely chopped parsley for garnish

1. Melt the butter and add the onion and sweat on low heat with lid on for a few minutes till onion is soft and cooked, do not brown the onion.
2. add the mushrooms and thyme, turn up heat and cook for about 7 minutes till liquid has disappeared.
3. turn heat down add the flour and stir well and cook the flour for a couple of minutes, then gradually add the hot stock and warmed milk stirring constantly, till the soup begins to thicken and season to taste.
4. Serve with a dash of cream and sprinkle with parsley

This is simply the best mushroom soup.

Note:  great the next day when it has time to sit and the flavor matures.