Creamy Mushroom Soup with Garlic and Thyme

Method

1. 1

   Brown the mushrooms. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in two batches, allowing their moisture to evaporate and their edges to brown. Transfer each batch to a bowl.

2. 2

   Soften the onion. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter and the onion. Cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.

3. 3

   Add the flour. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1–2 minutes.

4. 4

   Build the soup. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring to prevent lumps and scraping up the browned mushroom juices. Return the mushrooms and any collected liquid to the saucepan.

5. 5

   Simmer gently. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   Blend until smooth. Remove from the heat. Use an immersion blender, keeping its head submerged to prevent splashing. For a finer texture, pass the blended soup through a fine sieve.

7. 7

   Finish and season. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche until smooth. Add extra stock if needed, then season with salt and pepper. Taste before adding lemon juice—the crème fraîche already adds tang. Serve with herbs and crusty bread.