Never missed the woodland every Friday, with or without a mushroom. I had to be either hunting or just chilling.
So, I was by the pond, spending a peaceful moment, when I spotted the only mushroom on the edge.
A dried-up polypore fungus.
The rest of the ground remained dry; despite a week of rainstorms, the parched earth found little relief, and mushrooms never had the chance to freely sprout.
Since there weren’t many mushrooms to be found, I decided to make the simple mushroom soup I had imagined; a smooth, creamy, hearty blend with some chewy mushroom pieces, and it was a hit today!
Serving it in a bread bowl adds a toasty bite and makes it extra filling!
🍲 Simple Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup
Ingredients:
Soup Base:
2 tbsp butter or ghee
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
500g mushrooms, sliced (a mix of foraged or store-bought)
300g cooked chicken, shredded or diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 tbsp corn flour (cornstarch)
Salt & pepper to taste
Parsley and Lovage ( or herbs of your choice)
Crispy Mushroom Topping:
A few extra mushrooms, sliced (these are shiitake)
2 tbsp butter
Paprika
Bread Bowls (4 servings):
4 round crusty bread (I used homemade, but store-bought is ok)
Optional: brush with garlic butter and toast inside lightly for extra flavour.
Instructions:
Prepare Bread Bowls:
Slice the top off. Scoop out the insides to form a bowl (leave 1–2cm of bread on the sides).
Set aside.
Optional: brush inside with melted garlic butter and toast at 180°C (350°F) for 10 mins helps prevent fogginess.
Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.
Sauté the onion until soft.
Add garlic.
Add mushrooms.
Add pre-cooked chicken
Salt and pepper.
Pour in broth, bring to a simmer.
Mix 1½ tbsp cornflour with 3 tbsp cold milk or water to make a smooth slurry.
Slowly stir it into the simmering soup and stir as it thickens (3 minutes).
Lower heat. Stir in the milk.
Warm through gently. Avoid boiling.
Make crispy mushroom topping:
In a skillet, heat butter or oil. Fry sliced mushrooms until golden and crisp. Season with salt, pepper'
Serve:
Ladle soup into bread bowls.
Top with crispy mushrooms and chopped parsley, thyme, or lovage
Balanced creaminess, meaty mushrooms and tender chicken, with the nice herbiness of thyme and lovage. The crusty bread soaked up the soup, was soft on the inside, but crisp on the outside.
This was very delicious.
Have a lovely day!
Mariah 💗😊🍄