Velouté de champignons
Cream of Mushroom Velouté
Nothing like the canned version: browned mushrooms give this velouté a deep, almost nutty flavor. It is ready in 40 minutes.
Equipment: Large pot, immersion blender
Contains: milk, wheat. Always check the labels of store-bought ingredients.
Ingredients
- 16 oz (455 g) cremini or white button mushrooms
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade (see Homemade Broth) or store-bought low-sodium
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Wipe the mushrooms clean with a paper towel and slice them. Set a few nice slices aside for garnish. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Melt the butter in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring only now and then, until browned. Take out the garnish slices.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the broth and thyme, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and purée (see Blending Hot Soup Safely). Stir in the milk and cream and warm gently without boiling. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve topped with the reserved mushrooms and the parsley.
Olivier's tip
Do not crowd or stir the mushrooms too much: they must brown, not steam. A few shiitakes or a handful of dried porcini (soaked, with their strained liquid) make the soup even deeper.
A word from Paris
In French slang, to step on the gas pedal is “appuyer sur le champignon”, to press the mushroom. The accelerator pedals of early cars were round and looked like little mushrooms.
French word of the day
crème fraîche
krem FRESH
thick, slightly tangy French cream
