Creamy Mushroom and White Bean Soup

So, Switzerland decided it was time for winter... Or at least the temperature dropped quite a few bit these days, so I've been craving soup and soup and soup. I'm always on the hunt for new soup recipes, using different vegetables and continuously switching the ingredients or playing around with the texture, adding things so every soup is different and offering a ton of new things. 

The recipe comes from the donna hay magazine April/May 2013 issue. The recipe adds garlic croutons to the soup, which I omitted. I've told you about my slight aversion to garlic - not the taste but the smelly breath that comes with it. Don't let the rather long list of ingredients scare you. This soup is still super easy. 

I am trying to eat healthy, so cream is not on top of my list of ingredients at the moment. I've put the ingredients that are optional in brackets, so you can decide whether or not you want to use it. The soup won't lose creaminess when omitting the cream, because of the beans you're puréeing. 

By omitting the pouring cream and sour cream and using vegetable oil for frying and vegetable oil, this soup easily becomes vegan.

Here's the recipe:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

2 brown onions, chopped

(4 cloves garlic, crushed)

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 400g  can white (cannelloni) beans, drained and rinsed

30g dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups (500ml) boiling water

3 cups (750ml) chicken stock

(1/2 cup (125ml) single cream)

100g chestnut mushrooms

200g Swiss brown mushroom

(1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, to serve)

sea salt and cracked black pepper

garlic croutons

2 cups (140g) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1) Rehydrate the dried porcini mushroom in 500ml (2 cups) of boiling water and set aside for  about 30 minutes.

2) For the croutons, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). To make the croutons, place the breadcrumbs, garlic, thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper on a baking tray and toss to combine. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Set aside

3) Cut the fresh mushrooms in small cubes or quarter them. You'll add them to the soup so any size you like works fine. Chop the onions. Again, you're going to purée the soup so the onion doesn't have to be super fine. Drain and rinse the beans. That's all you need to prep.

4) Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and squeeze the garlic, if you're using it, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until softened. 

5) Add the thyme, beans, porcini mushrooms and liquid, stock, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 12-15 minutes or until thickened slightly. 

6) Add the cream, again if you're using it, and cook for a further minute. Using a hand-held blender, blend until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

7) Melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until golden and just cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir through the soup.

8) Divide the soup between bowls. Stir through the mushrooms and top with the sour creams and croutons. 

Serves: 5 

Active preparation time: 15 minutes

Total preparation time: about 1 hour

Here's how mine looks:

This soup is wonderfully easy and beautifully deep in flavor. The porcini mushroom and their soaking liquid add a ton of flavour, the beans add creaminess and slightly balance the earthiness of the mushrooms. A good pinch of salt and pepper brings the flavors together. All that's left to do is curl up on the sofa and enjoy a bowl of the piping hot fall soup.

Have fun trying!