Alright, decided to whip up some mushroom soup and potatoes earlier. Felt like something warm and filling, you know?
First off, grabbed the potatoes. Had a few sitting around, nothing special. Gave them a good wash under the tap, didn’t bother peeling – I kinda like the skins on for this. Just chopped them into rough chunks, maybe an inch or so big. Easy.
Then, the mushrooms. Just a regular punnet of button mushrooms. Wiped them clean, didn’t wash them, ’cause they soak up water like sponges. Sliced them up, not too thin, not too thick. Also chopped up an onion and a clove of garlic while I was at it.
Getting the Potatoes Going
I decided roasting was the way to go for the potatoes. Tossed the chunks in a bowl with a glug of olive oil, plenty of salt, some black pepper, and a sprinkle of dried rosemary I had in the cupboard. Spread them out on a baking tray, making sure they weren’t too crowded, and shoved them into a pretty hot oven. Set a timer, but mostly just kept an eye on them.
Making the Soup Happen
While those potatoes were roasting away, I got started on the soup. Put a decent sized pot on the stove, medium heat. Melted a knob of butter in there, then tossed in the chopped onions. Let them sweat down for a few minutes until they got soft and see-through. Added the garlic, stirred it for maybe 30 seconds until you could smell it.
Next, tipped in all the sliced mushrooms. Turned the heat up slightly and cooked them, stirring now and then. You gotta let them cook down properly, release their water, and get some nice brown color. Takes a bit of patience, maybe 10 minutes or so. This step’s important for the flavour, don’t rush it.
Once the mushrooms looked good, I sprinkled over a tablespoon or two of plain flour. Stirred that into the mushrooms and let it cook for a minute – cooks out the raw flour taste. Then, gradually started adding vegetable broth, maybe a cup at first, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Kept adding broth bit by bit, stirring, until I had a soupy consistency. Probably used about 4 cups total.
Brought that to a simmer, then turned the heat down low. Let it bubble gently for about 15 minutes, just to let the flavours meld together. Checked the potatoes around now, gave the tray a good shake so they browned evenly.
For the soup, I finished it with a splash of cream right at the end. Not too much, just enough to make it creamy. Stirred that in, tasted it for seasoning. Added more salt and pepper until it tasted right. Simple as that.
All Done
By this time, the potatoes were cooked through, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Perfect. Took them out of the oven.
Served it up straight away. Ladled the hot mushroom soup into bowls, with a side of those roasted potatoes. A really straightforward meal, but honestly, it was proper comfort food. Hit the spot nicely on a day like today.
