Cream of Mushroom Soup

Method

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1. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot over high heat and cook the mushrooms in two batches for 8 minutes each, until their liquid has gone and they are browned. Set aside a quarter for serving.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Turn the heat to medium, add the onion to the same pot and cook 5 minutes until soft, then the garlic and thyme for 1 minute.

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3. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.

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4. Whisk in the stock and milk, return the mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes.

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5. Blend roughly half the soup with a stick blender until velvety, leaving the rest chunky.

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6. Stir in the cream, salt and pepper and warm through without boiling.

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7. Finish with the lemon juice and serve topped with the reserved mushrooms.

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Chef’s Tips

• Brown the mushrooms in batches. Crowding steams them and they stay grey.
• Blend only half, so there are still pieces to bite.
• Do not boil once the cream is in, or it can split.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Toasted sourdough
• A green salad
• A dry sherry

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat gently without boiling. Freeze without the cream for 3 months and stir it in when reheating.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.