Velvet Mushroom Soup
The classic, made without a drop of dairy. Deeply savory, silky, elegant enough for company. Cashews give it the body cream once did.
SMOOTH · The mushroom is blended into a sauce or soup. No pieces at all.
Veloute, from the French for velvet, is a foundation of classical cooking, refined by Escoffier himself. The old version leaned on cream and egg yolk. Blended cashews carry the same silk with none of it.
Serves four as a starter, two as a meal.
- 1 lb Oyster or Lion's Mane mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 3 tbsp dry sherry or white wine
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- Half a cup raw cashews
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon, to finish
- 01
Heat a heavy pot over medium high, dry. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their water, it cooks off, and they brown deeply, about 10 minutes. Add the oil for the last couple of minutes. This browning is the most important step. Do not rush it.
- 02
Add the onion and garlic, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme.
- 03
Pour in the sherry and let it cook away. Add the broth and cashews. Simmer 15 minutes.
- 04
Fish out the thyme stems. Blend completely smooth, never filling a hot blender past halfway.
- 05
For the silkiest result, pour it through a fine strainer back into the pot. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
- A swirl of olive oil and a few Smoky Pink Oyster Bits on top.
- Garlic-rubbed crusty bread.
No cashews? A peeled, diced potato simmered in the soup blends just as smooth and gives body without nuts.
