Creamed chanterelles on toast
Autumn's best sandwich – dry-fried mushrooms, butter and cream on crispy bread.
To the creamed chanterellesCreamy mushroom soup – with wild mushrooms or button mushrooms
The taste of the forest in a bowl – blended or with whole pieces
- 4 servings
- Time: 40 min
- Difficulty: Easy
- 13 ingredients
- 9 steps
A creamy mushroom soup is autumn's best way to use a basket of mushrooms – and almost as good made with button mushrooms from the shop. The flavour is built in three steps: dry-fry the mushrooms so they take on colour, fry onion and garlic in butter, and let everything simmer with stock before the cream goes in. A little soy sauce or a handful of dried mushrooms gives the depth that makes the soup really taste of the forest.
You can blend the soup completely smooth, or keep some of the mushrooms aside and add whole pieces back in. The soup stays warm for a long time in a thermos and makes a perfect packed lunch on a cold day. If you have chanterelles left over, make creamed chanterelles on toast as a starter.
Method
- Clean the mushrooms and cut them into pieces. Save a handful of nice pieces for serving if you want whole pieces of mushroom in the soup.
- Dry-fry the mushrooms in a large saucepan or pot without fat until the liquid has cooked off and they start to colour.
- Add the butter, the chopped onion and the crushed garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
- Dust the flour over the mushrooms and stir until everything is coated.
- Pour in the stock a little at a time while stirring, so that no lumps form. Add the thyme.
- Let the soup simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes.
- Pour in the cream and soy sauce and bring to the boil.
- Blend the soup smooth with a stick blender, or only blend half if you want to keep a bit of texture.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fry the reserved mushroom pieces in a little butter and place them on top of the soup with parsley and croutons.
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If you want a thinner soup, dilute with a little more stock. If you want it thicker, let it reduce for a few minutes without the lid.
Tips for a mushroom soup full of flavour
- Dry-fry first – the same trick as for creamed mushrooms. Boiled mushrooms give a pale flavour, fried mushrooms a roasted one.
- Mix mushroom varieties. Button mushrooms give body, chanterelles colour and funnel chanterelles a deep forest flavour.
- Dried mushrooms are a flavour shortcut. Put a handful of dried porcini in the stock.
- A little acidity at the end: a splash of white wine or a few drops of lemon makes the soup fresher.
- Over an open fire: the soup works well in a cast-iron pot over the embers. Read more about the technique in cooking in a pot over the fire.
Safety: only pick mushrooms you recognise
Only use mushrooms you are completely sure of, or shop-bought mushrooms. Let an adult who knows mushrooms go through the basket and never taste raw mushrooms – especially not when children are with you. Pick one mushroom at a time so that nothing unknown slips in.
If you suspect mushroom poisoning: call 112 for acute symptoms, otherwise the Swedish Poisons Information Centre on +46 10-456 67 00. Keep the mushroom so that the species can be identified.
More recipes to try
All recipes →Mushroom soup in a thermos
A thermos of mushroom soup turns a grey autumn walk into an outing. Warm the thermos with boiling water for five minutes, pour out the water and fill it with piping hot soup. Pack croutons or bread separately so that they stay crispy. More ideas for packed lunches can be found in our guide to outing food and in easy lunch ideas at the barbecue site.
Vary the mushroom soup
- Button mushroom soup: make the soup with button mushrooms only and a little extra soy sauce – it is good all year round.
- With potato: cook two peeled potatoes in the stock for a filling, flour-free soup.
- Vegan: fry in rapeseed oil and swap the cream for oat cream.
- With bacon: top with crispy fried bacon.
- With stick bread: bake stick bread over the fire while the soup warms up.
Frequently asked questions
Which mushrooms are best for mushroom soup?
Chanterelles, funnel chanterelles, porcini and button mushrooms all work well. A mix gives the most flavour. Funnel chanterelles and porcini give a deeper forest flavour than button mushrooms.
Can you freeze mushroom soup?
Yes. Freeze the soup in portions for up to three months. The cream may separate a little when it thaws – whisk or blend the soup when you reheat it and it will be smooth again.
Can you make mushroom soup with frozen mushrooms?
Yes. Put the frozen mushrooms straight into a dry, hot pot and let the liquid cook off before you continue with the recipe.
How do you give mushroom soup more flavour?
Dry-fry the mushrooms until they colour, use a flavourful stock and add a little soy sauce or dried mushrooms. A splash of white wine or lemon at the end lifts the flavour.
More warming soups to try are creamy broccoli and cheddar soup and hearty goulash soup. For dessert, a dollop of lingonberry jam on pancakes is just right.
More guides and recipes to read
More warming food for autumn