Mushroom Soup, Roast Chestnuts and Winter Truffle by Paul Ainsworth
| Serves: 4 | Category: Soups | Chef: Paul Ainsworth | Course: Starters | Machine: Blender | Total time (min.): 60 |
Paul Ainsworth’s winter mushroom soup with roast chestnuts and winter truffle is the perfect winter warm-up now that the days are getting colder, and the nights are drawing in. Rich, creamy and flavourful, this soup is made from deliciously earthy flat cap mushrooms, sweet shallots, and creamy crème Fraiche. The perfect alternative to the traditional prawn cocktail starter for your Christmas dinner.
Ingredients
- 750g flat cap mushrooms sliced
- 3 large shallots sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5 thyme sprigs picked
- 1 bay leaf
- 250g butter
- 570ml milk
- 570ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 50g crème Fraiche
- Salt for seasoning
- 100g chestnuts chopped coarsely
- 1 black truffle (optional) for slicing
Tools
- Blend-X Fresh Blender
Method
- Add the butter to a large saucepan on a medium heat then add the shallots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf with a pinch of salt
- Place the lid on top and sweat the shallots for a few minutes to soften
- Once the shallots are soft with no colour add the mushrooms and mix well through the butter and shallot mix, return the lid and carry-on cooking for about 5 minutes
- Remove the lid and you will see moisture in the pan from the mushrooms, reduce this down until it has disappeared this will intensify the mushroom flavour
- Add the milk and stock and bring back to the boil and then simmer for a few more minutes
- Blend the soup in the Kenwood blender and pass through a fine sieve to achieve a smooth consistency
Finish the soup by checking the seasoning and whisking in the crème fraiche - To serve the dish, finish with some chopped chestnuts, sliced truffle, and olive oil