The creaminess of Winslade is a perfect companion to the earthiness of the mushrooms. A heart warming soup, perfect for the cooler Autumn days!
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 500g fresh chestnut mushrooms
- 50g mixed dried mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely sliced and a few of their leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and extra for drizzling
- 100ml dry white wine
- 1 Ltr vegetable stock
- 250ml full fat milk
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 1 Winslade cheese (230g), roughly chopped
- 4 slices of sourdough
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- A drizzle of lemon juice
- A tbsp of mixed seeds
Method
Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 100ml of boiling water. Cover and leave for 30 minutes to soften.
Bring a large saucepan to a medium heat and add the olive oil. Sweat the onion for 4-5 minutes till translucent. Add the garlic and celery and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. Then take the dried mushrooms out of the water and add to the saucepan together with the fresh ones and the thyme. Stir a couple of minutes and add the wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the stock, increase the heat to bring to the boil and cover the saucepan. Reduce the heat and cook the soup for 30 minutes. Add the milk and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Leave the soup to cool a little and blitz in a powerful blender. Return to a clean pan to heat again before serving. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, put the Winslade in a bowl and melt in the microwave for 40-50 seconds.
Toast the bread slices and tear into chunks. Top the soup in each bowl with a few chunks of toasted bread and spoon over some melted cheese. Sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley, mixed seeds and celery leaves and drizzle with some lemon juice, some herb oil or extra virgin olive oil.