Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Shiitake mushroom soup is a creamy, bold and tasty soup. It’s an umami filled dish, since fresh shiitakes are involved… it wouldn’t be the same with dried shiitakes, that umami would sadly vanish. This mushrooms type is way bolder tasting than the normal button mushrooms, although you can also make the soup with any other mushrooms, I’ve used shiitakes mushrooms for its bold flavour. On top of being umami flavoured, the shiitakes have that darker color and firmer texture, resulting in a darker soup but oh! my… so tasty! Another difference between shiitakes and some other mushrooms is the stem…
the shiitake stem is way harder and longer to cook then it’s soft main part, which result in… having to cut them up and discard them. Those stem are almost as hard as rocks, so except if you have teeth made of steel, just cut them off.

I believe, that mushroom soups should always have a bit of cream in it, it make it smoother. In my version, I didn’t add much of cream, just a touch, since I’m trying to keep it healthy. Another, often forgotten ingredient, the nutmeg. I love nutmeg, I consider it the little brother of salt and pepper, it’s always on the side of them… sadly, often omitted or discarded in recipes… I believe a freshly grounded touch of nutmeg goes a LONG way in a tasty mushroom soup, bechamel sauce, etc. The same goes for pepper there is a whole world of pepper grains, which I am no expert of, but the least a recipe needs, it’s a freshly grounded pepper. Such details make a huge difference in the end.

So let’s make that smooth and bold mushroom soup!

Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

• 150g shiitake mushrooms sliced
• 1 litre (4 cups) homemade chicken stock
• 120g french shallots finely sliced
• 2 garlic clove finely chopped
• 60ml cream
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp of brandy
• nutmeg, salt, pepper

Directions

1. Wash rapidly under running water the shiitakes and cut the stems off and slice
2. In a pan, medium high heat, cook the shitakes slices, until it loses half it’s size or light brown
3. Add them to a bigger pot with simmering chicken stock
4. Add the sliced shallot and garlic to the pan and soften them up, add to the stock
5. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, medium high heat
6. Add the cream, nutmeg, pepper, salt
7. Blend with an immersion blender or the method you prefer
8. Check if the consistency is smooth enough to your taste, if not keep the soup on low heat a bit more
9. Take of the fire and add the brandy and butter and check your seasoning
10. Serve

Serve with a truffle salt on the table for extra taste. Enjoy!