This post is in collaboration with La Motte Wine Estate.
The inspiration for this Mushroom Soup with Marinated Mushrooms and Garlic Toasties came from the reality of reaching that stage of the lockdown where I had only one bottle of wine left. So enjoying that bottle wine with a delicious bowl of autumn comfort was not negotiable.
It was a bottle of La Motte Millenium, a South African interpretation of the famous Bordeaux-style red blend with Merlot (44%), Cabernet Franc (37%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (10%). It is a complex wine with a dusty, earthy nose with raspberry and mulberry fruit, cinnamon spice and a hint of mint that pairs well with mild curries, creamy dishes and mushrooms. So I took my cue from a recipe by Chef Eric Bulpitt, Executive Chef of Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant to create a comforting and homely mushroom soup to enjoy with the Millenium.
It has been a while since I have done a soup for the blog, and I think this Mushroom Soup with Marinated Mushrooms is a delicious addition to the collection of recipes on here.
The creamy mushroom soup is served with marinated mushrooms, and not only do they add texture but the acidity of the marinated mushrooms cuts through the rich creaminess of the soup. A bowl of soup needs crusty bread, so I toasted some ciabatta bread slices, smashed a clove of garlic, and mixed it into some extra virgin olive oil with chopped fresh parsley. A spoonful spread on the slices of bread is delicious. You could swap out the oil with salted butter and slather that on the slices of bread. If you find raw garlic too strong, roast a few cloves and squeeze the soft garlic out of the skin and mix with parsley and oil. 
I used portabellini mushrooms to marinade and a mix of shitake and portabellini mushrooms for the soup, but you can use any mushrooms of your choice and what you can find when you head out to the shops. The more flavourful the mushroom the more delicious the soup will be. If you want to keep the soup vegan, replace the cream with coconut milk. There may be some marinated mushrooms leftover, spoon them on a piece of sourdough with a slice of mature cheddar – so good!
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Mushroom Soup with Marinated Mushrooms. If you’ve made the recipe share it with me by tagging @heinstirred on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #heinstirred. It is always a treat to see the recipes made and enjoyed.
Ingredients
- Marinated mushrooms
- 200g small portobello mushrooms, cleaned and halved
- 50ml apple cider vinegar
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 thyme sprig
- sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- Mushroom Soup
- 100g shallots, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- olive oil for frying
- 100ml sherry
- 600g mushrooms such as portabellini, shitake, porcini, cleaned and roughly chopped
- 1 sprig thyme
- 500ml warm vegetable stock
- 250ml cream (or coconut milk)
- sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic Toasties
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- handful, chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- slices of bread, toasted
Instructions
- To make the marinated mushrooms, place all the other ingredients except the mushrooms in a saucepan and bring to a boil then pour over the cut mushrooms
- Cover and place in the fridge for at least two hours to cool
- Make the soup by heating some oil in a saucepan and add the shallots and garlic
- Sweat the vegetables over a low heat until soft and translucent
- Deglaze with the sherry and add the mushrooms and thyme
- Give it a stir and cook for a few minutes
- Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes
- Add the cream or coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes
- Season to taste
- Use a stick blender to blend the soup to a smooth consistency and keep warm while making the toasties
- Make the garlic toasties by mixing the garlic, parsley and olive oil and spreading onto the just toasted bread
- Serve the soup in bowls, topped with some marinated mushrooms and the toasties
