Wild mushroom soup with garlic and thyme croutons

The general principle is to cook the vegetables in the stock first before liquidizing and adding the milk. The flavour of Oat Drink, wild mushrooms and thyme work really well together.

Serves 4

Ingredients

10g dried porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil

20g unsalted butter

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 large Portobello or flat mushrooms, sliced

splash of dry white wine (optional)

500ml vegetable stock

300ml Oat Drink

Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the wild mushrooms

100g wild mushrooms

10g butter

For the croutons

2 slices of sourdough, cut into cubes

2 cloves garlic, crushed with a little salt

½ tsp thyme leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Pour 100ml of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and allow them to soak for 10 minutes. Drain the porcini and reserve the soaking liquid. Gently heat the butter and the olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until soft and then add the Portobello and rehydrated porcini mushrooms and splash of wine, if using. Place a lid on the saucepan and allow the mushrooms to sweat until soft. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the mushrooms to cool a little before liquidizing. Add the Oat Drink, mix well and season the soup to taste.

Place the cubes of sour dough, crushed garlic, thyme and olive oil in a bowl and mix well. Heat a small, thick bottomed frying pan and cook the sour dough croutons until they are crisp and golden. Cook the wild mushrooms in a little butter and set on one side.

Reheat the mushroom soup and serve with wild mushrooms and garlic and thyme croutons.