Cream of Mushroom and Potato Soup with Spices
The dried mushrooms make the difference. Fresh ones alone bring texture but not depth; drying concentrates everything the mushroom has to offer.
And the soaking water belongs in the soup — most of that aroma has ended up in it. Just pour it through a fine sieve: grit settles at the bottom.
The potato gives body, so very little cream is needed. Cinnamon and nutmeg with mushrooms sound unusual and they work. Winter in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 15 g dried mushrooms (porcini or dried button mushrooms)
- 250 ml boiling water (1 cup, for soaking)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 500 g fresh mushrooms (button or portobello), sliced
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 medium potatoes (about 350 g), peeled and diced
- 750 ml chicken or vegetable stock (3 cups)
- 125 ml pouring cream (1/2 cup)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chives, chopped, to garnish
Method
- 1
Soaking the mushrooms: put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Leave them to soak for 20 minutes. Then lift them out with your hand or a slotted spoon, without tipping the bowl: the grit they released is sitting at the bottom, and tipping drags all of it out. Keep the infusion liquid (it is pure gold in flavour) and chop the soaked mushrooms into small pieces.
- 2
The aromatic base: in a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and the garlic and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is tender and translucent.
- 3
Cooking the mushrooms: add the sliced fresh mushrooms and the chopped dried ones. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the fresh mushrooms have noticeably softened.
- 4
Spices and potatoes: stir in the nutmeg and the cinnamon, mixing well so the heat activates their aroma. Add the diced potato, the stock and the soaking liquid you kept, straining it and leaving the last finger of it in the bowl: that is where the grit concentrates. A fine sieve handles the coarse material; to be completely sure, use a paper coffee filter. It is worth the care because this soup gets blended, and a stick blender does not break grit down — it distributes it across the whole bowl.
- 5
Boiling: bring the mixture to the boil. Once it boils, turn the heat to its lowest, partly cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender.
- 6
Take the pot off the heat. With a stick blender or hand blender, blend the soup to a smooth, even cream with no lumps.
- 7
The finish: return the pot to low heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm the soup for a couple of minutes without letting it boil.
- 8
Serve very hot in individual bowls, garnished with a handful of chopped fresh chives.