Fall Harvest Cream of Chanterelle Soup

This is not your conventional cream of mushroom soup. Made with chanterelles picked in the wild, sautéed with lemon and thyme, slow-cooked in vegetable broth and cream, this soup is rich and unique in flavor and texture.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chanterelle mushrooms or a mix of wild mushrooms
• 3 medium-sized shallots – finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5-6 thyme sprigs or a tablespoon of dried
• 2 bay leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2-3 cups vegetable broth (depends on how thick you want your soup)
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups cream (light or heavy or both)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper (black or cayenne)
• Parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

Preparing the Chanterelles:

If your chanterelles are not clean. Sweep away any debris and dirt with a soft-bristled basting brush; use a small paring knife to cut away any unwanted portion; if necessary very lightly rinse and gently pat dry. Finely chop the chanterelles either with a knife or dice with a food processor (avoid over-processing).

Directions:

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat; adding in the shallots, cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.  Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and chanterelle mushrooms and continue to cook over medium-low heat.  Salt the ingredients to help release the moisture.  Continue to cook them until all of this moisture has cooked off; perhaps another 10-15 minutes.  When the moisture is gone, add in the vegetable stock, cream, lemon zest, pepper and a pinch more salt.  Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes.  Add in the remaining lemon juice and stir.  Taste the soup and adjust the salt levels as needed for your tastes.  If the soup is too thin, continue to cook and if it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Top with chopped parsley. I garnished our servings with shelled hemp seeds by Nutiva.

Serves 4