Spiced Mushroom Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
• Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
• Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
• Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices and a few thyme leaves.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring vegetable stock, shallots, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chiles to a boil. Continue to boil for 4-5 minutes. Add oyster and straw mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Once cooked remove from heat and season with miso paste, lime juice and apple concentrate.

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 5 cups very hot water until soft, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. When they are tender, remove mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid; slice or chop if the pieces are large.
• Meanwhile, put the butter in a large pot that can later be covered over medium heat. When it melts, add the herb, onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high, and add the fresh mushrooms; add the soaked mushrooms when they're ready. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and begun to brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the sherry or Madeira to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom as the liquor starts to bubble. Add the stock or soaking liquid and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook, covered, until flavors have melded, about 15 minutes.
• Discard the herb. Reduce the heat to low, and purée the liquid with a hand-held mixer to desired consistency. (I like it half-puréed.) Add the cream if you're using it; stir to combine and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; garnish with parsley and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots start to turn a nice golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and half the chile, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, released much of their water and turned a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (A browned mushroom will have infinitely more flavor than an unbrowned mushroom, because the water inside it evaporates and the flavor concentrates. So do not skip this step.)
• Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup vinegar and 8 cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until the flavors have melded and the broth tastes good enough to drink (you will be drinking it), 15 to 20 minutes. Season with more soy sauce and vinegar as you like.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. (The timing will depend on the type and brand of noodles, so consult the package.) Add the noodles to the pot with the broth, and let them hang out in there for a minute or two to finish cooking and soak up all that flavor.
• To serve, use tongs to divide the noodles and mushrooms among bowls, then ladle the hot broth over the top. Serve with the remaining chile, the herbs and the sesame seeds and oil (if using) for people to dress their own bowls to their liking.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in big pan and then add the onion and cook softly for about 5 minutes to allow the onions to soften.
• Add the garam masala and ground cilantro and stir into the onions.
• Add the potato and carrots and just allow to heat through for 1 minute.
• Add the mushrooms and the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Add the fresh cilantro and either transfer to a blender and blitz under smooth or use a hand held stick blender to whizz it up right there in the pan.
• Return to the heat and add any salt if you think it is needed (I didn't need it) and just heat through again to serve.