Southern Mushroom, Local Cider & Blue Cheese Soup
This soup celebrates the very best of our local harvest, connecting the dots between our wonderful market stallholders. It starts with beautiful mixed mushrooms from Southern Mushrooms and the perfect sharp blue cheese from Eric at The Cheeseshop. The base is built with onions, leeks, and Agria potatoes from Brenton Cullen or Steve at Heatherdale Orchard - our trusted greengrocers. A generous glug of dry cider from either Sprig and Fern (just over the road) or Townshend Brewery (as you enter town) adds that distinctive local tang. This soup truly tastes of community in every spoonful.
Southern Mushroom, Local Cider & Blue Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
500g mixed mushrooms from Southern Mushrooms, roughly chopped
25g butter, plus an extra knob for frying
Olive oil
1 leek from our Greengrocers, thinly sliced
1 large Agria potato from or Greengrocers, peeled and diced
1 brown onion from our Greengrocers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
750ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
250ml dry local cider (Sprig and Fern or Townshend Brewery)
100ml cream
75g strong blue cheese from Eric at The Cheeseshop, crumbled, plus extra for garnish
Fresh parsley from our Greengrocers or grow your own from Crafted Earth, finely chopped
Crusty bread from Big Score Bakery.
Method:
Select about 100g of the best mushrooms for garnish and roughly chop the rest.
In a large pot, melt 25g butter with a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the leek, potato, and onion. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes until softened but not coloured.
Add the chopped mushrooms and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.
Pour in the stock and local cider. Bring to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until the potato is completely tender.
Blend the soup until smooth. Return to the pot and stir through the cream and crumbled blue cheese. Heat gently until the cheese melts and the soup is hot. Adjust seasoning to taste.
For the garnish, heat a knob of butter with a little oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the reserved mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp at the edges. Season with salt.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with the sautéed mushrooms, an extra crumble of blue cheese, and a scattering of fresh parsley.
*Serves 4-6*
