Mushroom Soup

Snow Day! One of the few benefits of working in a school are Snow Days, and today was one. I slid into work for seven this morning and was home again by eight. Even fearless G hadn't left and was waiting for the sun to come out and hopefully melt some of the ice that was glazing the surface of our town. It was below freezing, snowing hard and I was in the mood for soup.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Serves four

1 Small Onion, chopped

1lb Mushrooms, stalks removed, caps finely sliced

Butter and Oil

2 1/2 Pints Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Small bunch Parsley, Stalks too

Salt & Pepper

1 tbl Flour

Lemon Juice

Cream

• Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a large pan, add a little oil. Add the onions and cook down gently until softened.
• Add a tablespoon of flour to the onions and combine
• Add the stock and blend with the flour, add mushroom stalks, seasoning and parsley, simmer for about 20 minutes
• Strain the soup, pressing all of the juices out of the onions and mushroom stalks. Return the strained liquid back into the pan.
• In another pan melt another tablespoon of butter and some oil, when foaming add the sliced mushrooms, seasoning and about a tablespoon of lemon juice. Turn the heat down, cover and leave to cook down for about 5 minutes.
• Pour the mushrooms and their juice into the soup. Add cream to taste, adjust seasoning, heat through and serve.