MASHROOMS SOUP

Slovenia is a country covered with forests. Hiking through in the woods and picking up mushrooms is one of the most common hobbies of Slovenian people. We are preparing mushrooms in many different ways. Very traditional mushroom dish is a mushroom soup. It is usually served in restaurants as a starter, but it can also be served as a main dish together with buckwheat spoon bread, see the recipe. 

Mushroom soup

This simple but very popular soup can be made in many different ways. Almost everyone has their own special recipe. Usually it is made of two main ingredients, mushrooms and potatoes. It is best to have various types of mushrooms, but the best are porcini mushrooms that add flavour to the soup.
Sometimes I add carrots, parsley root and if I want it more thick I add buckwheat grains - porridge. This recipe is for this thick soup that can be also served as a main dish for lunch or dinner. 

The ingredients:

300 g of mushrooms - I used maitake, shiitake and dried porcini
500 g of potatoes - 1 per person
2 tbsp of buckwheat grains
1 small carrot - about 3 tbsp when sliced 
1 small piece of parsley root - if you have - about 1 tbsp when grated
1 small anion
3 cloves of garlic
vegetable oil or ghee
2 bay leaves
fresh or dry thyme
salt  and pepper to taste
fresh green parsley and 
2 tbsp of sour cream for garnishing the soup 

The ingredients

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Slice the carrot into small pieces  and grate the parsley root.
Slice or tear up the mushrooms. Wash dried porcini and soak them in water. 
Chop the anion and crash the garlic. 
Wash the buckwheat grains and soak them in water.

Stir fry the onions on oil for a few minutes, add all fresh mushrooms and fry them until they get some colour. Add crushed garlic, potatoes, carrots and parsley. Mix well, then add all the herbs and spices. Add soaked porcini together with the water and mix all together. Pour with hot water or clear soup and bring to boil. Cook until potatoes are soft. Then take out a few pieces of potatoes and mash them into puree to thicken the soup. Put soaked buckwheat grains into soup and cook for another few minutes for them to soften. Now taste the soup, add salt and pepper if necessary. Put away to rest for a few minutes.

Serve the soup garnished with green parsley and sour cream with a slice of fresh bread or with buckwheat spoon bread. 

Mushroom soup 

Buckwheat spoon bread

You can see more photos on this LINK!