Winter's Here, Let's Make Some (Mushroom) Soup

Short days and cold weather equal soup. At least to me. So for the next few weeks, I'll be posting some of my favourite soup recipes. Starting with classic cream of mushroom. Here's how to make it:
700 g white button mushrooms, cleaned
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup brandy (can substitute with dry white wine or vermouth)
1 handful fresh thyme sprigs
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup heavy cream
1. Take your prettiest mushroom and cut it into thin slices. Set it aside, then chop the remaining mushrooms into chunky slices (~ 1/2 cm).
2. Add a large knob of unsalted butter and a good splash of olive oil to a medium pot on medium heat. Once the butter's melted, add the mushrooms (except for the thinly sliced one) and hit them with a couple of pinches of salt. Toss them around to coat, then let fry for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and caramelized. Add the shallot and continue frying 1 minute. Add the garlic and keep frying 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in your alcohol and simmer until most of the liquid's boiled away. Add the thyme sprigs, stock, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Cover with a lid, slightly ajar, and simmer for 25 minutes.
3. While you wait, prepare the garnish. Put a small pan on high heat and add a knob of butter. Lay in your thinly sliced mushroom pieces and fry for a few minutes until golden. Once done, set them aside until ready for serving.
4. Remove the lid from the pot of soup and pull out the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to blitz the soup until no large chunks of mushroom remain. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Stir in heavy cream to taste, then add additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with the fried mushrooms and a small sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.
Cheers!
Robert

[@yuvilio]

Terrific commentary and pointers. Been looking for a decent guide to this soup. Thank you.

[@dinnerbydad]

Glad it was helpful!