Slow-cooked and silky, this is the ideal autumnal soup. For a dairy-free soup, add diced fresh pear and use hazelnut milk instead of crème fraiche.
SERVES 4
- 25g dried porcini
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, thinly sliced
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 porcini stock cube or 1 heaped tsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 300g potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 200g cooked whole chestnuts, chopped
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tbsp crème fraiche
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
TO SERVE
- 70g rindless goat’s cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
- Crusty spelt or rye bread, or gluten-free alternative
- Put two-thirds of the porcini in a bowl, cover with 100ml just-boiled water and leave to soak for 20 mins until softened. Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid, then finely chop the softened mushrooms.
- Put the onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, softened porcini and the reserved soaking liquid, potatoes, chestnuts and thyme in the slow cooker pot. Crumble the porcini stock cube (or stir the bouillon powder) into 850ml hot water and add to the pot. Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours, or high for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes and chestnuts are tender.
- While the soup is cooking, put the remaining dried porcini in a grinder or use a pestle and mortar to grind to a powder. Leave to one side.
- Remove the bay leaves and, using a stick blender, blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the crème fraiche and season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls then sprinkle over the goat’s cheese, porcini powder and pumpkin seeds. Serve with slices of bread.
Superfood Slow Cooker by Nicola Graimes and Cathy Seward, published by Ryland Peters & Small