Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

I had a whole load of mushrooms that needed using up so I had a bit of a mushroom fest; making mushroom soup and a mushroom pasta dish that will follow. This has lovely earthy flavours and also used up half my pot of crème fraîche too.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup (from Good Food Magazine October 2007)
(Serves 4)

25g dried porcini
50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, sliced thyme sprigs
400g mixed wild mushrooms
850ml vegetable stock
200ml tub crème fraîche
chives and truffle oil, to serve

Bring a kettle to the boil, then pour the water over the dried porcini just to cover.

Heat half the butter in a saucepan, then gently sizzle the onion, garlic and thyme for 5 mins until softened and starting to brown.

Drain the porcini, reserving the juice, then add to the onion with the mixed wild mushrooms. Leave to cook for 5 mins until they go limp. Pour over the stock and the reserved juices, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins.

Stir in crème fraîche, then simmer for a few mins more. Blitz the soup with a hand blender, pass through a fine sieve, and put back in the pan, heat to warm through then serve.