5-2 Recipes: Mushroom & Bacon Soup

MUSHROOM & BACON SOUP

184 calories

(105 calories without bacon and extra mushrooms)

This simple winter warmer can of course be made without the bacon and extra mushrooms. I find adding the bacon makes it into a “proper” meal. This soup can be frozen in individual portions.

Top tip! Use Vermouth such as Noilly Prat in place of the white wine. Dilute with water 30:70 to get a similar calorie count and flavour.

Serves 4 • Cook time: 45 minutes

1 tsp olive oil (27 cals)

1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped (65 cals)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (8 cals)

1 parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped (45 cals)

1 medium potato, peeled and roughly chopped (135 cals)

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped (35 cals)

salt and pepper to taste

250g chestnut mushrooms, washed and sliced (32 cals)

5 dried porcini mushrooms (5 cals)

1 tsp mushroom ketchup (or soy sauce) (2 cals)

200ml dry white wine (66 cals)

1 lt water

To serve (per person)

2 slices streaky bacon (66 cals)

100g (4-5) chestnut mushrooms, washed and sliced (13 cals)

sprig fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

• Place the porcini mushrooms in a cup and add about half a cup of boiling water. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes.

• Heat the olive oil gently in a large lidded saucepan or casserole dish. Add the onion, stir and replace the lid. Cook for 5 minutes.

• Add the garlic, parsnip, potato and carrot. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir, replace the lid and sweat the vegetables for a further 5 minutes.

• Remove the lid from the pan. Add the mushrooms and stir in.

• Remove the porcini mushrooms from their soaking liquor, roughly chop and add to the pan. Pour most of the soaking liquor into the pan, discarding the dregs at the bottom.

• Finally add the mushroom ketchup, white wine and approximately 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

• Transfer the soup (in 2 batches if necessary) to a liquidiser or blender. Blend until smooth. Return to the pan and re-heat. If you are saving or freezing some of the soup, now is the time to transfer to containers.

• When you are ready to serve the soup, heat a small non-stick frying pan on med-high. When hot, add the bacon slices and fry for about 2 minutes each side until crunchy and browned. Remove the bacon to kitchen paper and dab on all sides to remove excess fat.

• Into the same hot frying pan add the mushrooms. They will take on board the bacon fat as they fry. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until glossy and brown.

• Serve the warmed soup in a wide bowl, with the mushrooms piled in the middle and the bacon laid over the top with a little fresh parsley.

Source:

http://www.52recipes.co.uk/2014/01/13/mushroom-bacon-soup/