One reader suggests looking out for mushrooms which are near their sell by date in supermarkets because these are often very cheap. An excellent idea because you can make a large batch of this soup at low cost and freeze it for use over the next few weeks.
Have a look at the comments left about this recipe at the bottom of this page, some of the ideas and suggestions will be sure to inspire you even more.
This recipe is scaleable to half or double the amounts.
500g / 1lb 1oz mushrooms
90g / 3oz butter (see Advice for Mushroom Soup below)
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 litre / 1.8 pints hot chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarians) (2 stock cubes)
One bay leaf
60ml / 4 tablespoons milk or cream
Handful of chopped parsley (optional for decoration)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Ingredients for mushroom soup
Start by cleaning the mushrooms with a damp cloth and roughly chop the caps and stems. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.
The above preparation is rather tedious, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to chop the ingredients but it is worthwhile as it takes less time for the soup to cook.
If you use spray Low-Cal oil instead of butter, you end up with a soup which is extremely low on calories and cholesterol, ideal for those on a diet. If you do this then add the flour after the stock has been poured into the pan and not before. Also, you can substitute margarine for the butter if you want.
This recipe was written by David Marks
Stir in the flour and mix well, making sure all the mushrooms are well coated.
Blend well till smooth, it may be necessary to do this in two batches.
If you prefer a little texture in your mushroom soup, blend only three quarters of the soup and add the remaining unblended soup in step 6 below.