Cream of Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread

Cream Of Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread

Today we woke up to witness a cool breezy Saturday morning . The sudden downpour last night had made the weather quiet pleasant .We were out for our daily morning walk on Gurney Drive , enjoying the cool but soothing breeze. We were lost in admiring the beauty of the nature - the priceless sea breeze  and the sound of the waves , that we failed to notice, the blue sky had turned grey, and then it started drizzling . So we dropped our idea of going further and headed back towards our home.  It grew darker and the drizzle was a full fledged  rain now.by the time we reached home we were completely drenched .

         Such a weather certainly calls for a warming breakfast! Could be hot spicy Pakoras with a cup of Masala Chai , or the Corn cobs heated over a stove top  sprinkled with lemon juice and salt or a bowl of hot soup ,  provided I had the ingredients in my pantry!  I generally stock up my veggies and fruits on Saturday mornings, so was only left with some Button Mushrooms, bread and a jar of vegetable stock in my fridge  (Thankfully I had made a large batch of vegetable stock 2 days back)  , perfect ingredients for a Creamy Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread !

 This wholesome and tasty soup recipe is made from cream of Mushroom and broth of other vegetables.The addition of herbs enhances  the deep and earthy flavours of Button Mushrooms . I have used dried thyme in this recipe..you can add fresh thyme or Oregano. The whole wheat flour used for thickening make it all the more healthier. Have followed this recipe from Vah re Vah Chef.

Coming to the health benefits : Button Mushrooms are a very good source of dietary fibres , proteins, Vitamin C , Vitamin D , are rich in minerals , help in boosting the immunity , have very low saturated fats and sodium and very low cholesterol. (Source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2482/2)

Ingredients for soup:

• Button Mushrooms, halved 10-12
• Bay leaves- 2
• Dried Thyme - 1 tsp
• Onions , finely chopped -1 medium
• Garlic , finely chopped  5-6 cloves
• Black pepper corns 10-12
• Whole wheat flour -2 tsp
• Butter -2 tsp
• Fresh cream -2 tsp( for garnishing)
• Pinch of sugar
• Vegetable stock / Chicken stock - 4 cups

  Method :

1. Heat butter in a non stick pan . Add bay leaves, black pepper corns and garlic and saute for half a minute.

    2. Add the onions and saute till light brown.

  3. Add flour and mix well. Cook on medium heat till the flour is lightly browned.

  4. Add the Mushrooms and salt and a pinch of sugar . Mix well and cook till Mushrooms ooze out water and turn golden brown. ( Adding pinch of sugar at this stage, gives a nice golden colour and caramelised flavor to Mushroom)

   5. Add vegetable / Chicken stock , dash of dried thyme. and mix well.  Cover and cook till Mushrooms are soft and the soup becomes creamier and thicker. ( Traditionally vegetable stock is made by simmering vegetables of your choice to water and flavouring it with spices and herbs.and then straining it , but in this recipe try to use a mildly flavoured vegetable stock , so that it does not dominate the flavors of Mushroom)

   6.  Put off the flame and remove the bay leaves. Blend this soup with hand blender or food processor and serve hot garnished with fresh cream. 

 7.  I have served this Creamy Mushroom soup with Garlic bread . To make garlic bread I just took bread slice, trimmed the edges and toasted the bread on a skillet with salted butter , finely chopped Parsley , Chili flakes, grated garlic and  thinly sliced Mushroom . It just tasted awesome !

  Notes:

• You can use any herb to flavor your Soup. Addition of Thyme or Oregano enhance the earthy favours of Mushroom.
• Never soak the mushrooms, just rinse them and use a cloth or paper towel to remove any clingy dirt.
• Try to use a mildly flavoured Vegetable or chicken stock for this recipe, so that it does not dominate the Mushroom flavors.