Mushroom Soup. A Life Changer.

I have always been rather apathetic about mushroom soup - I'll eat it if it's given to me but I'd never choose it.  However, Sunday saw us with a pretty empty fridge and a request for soup for dinner.  So I took the plunge and turned an assortment of mushrooms into a soup.  It converted me.

The combination of sherry (a must on a Sunday), earthy mushrooms and a little thyme just works.  And as ever it was as simple as pie to make, in fact, simpler.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

glug olive oil

330 g assorted mushrooms

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 shot of sherry

2 tsp dried thyme

1 mug of vegetable stock

salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the oil.  Chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan, cook over a moderate heat until transluecnt.  Add the mushrooms, roughly chopped, and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the sherry to the pan and cook for a minute, then add the stock, thyme and seasoning. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before using a hand blender to process the soup until smooth.  Check the seasoning.

Serve piping hot with some fresh crusty bread.