Slow Cooker Portobello Mushroom Soup from Scratch

Categories : appetizers & savoury snacks, easy peasy, lent, main dishes, potatoes & vegetables, Recipes, Slow Cooker @en, soups & salads, vegetarian or vegan

A deliciously mushroom-y soup made from scratch with Portobello mushrooms in the slow cooker. Because it ain’t summer yet guys.

The past few weeks have been spring-like. I’m talking 20 plus degrees Celsius. Too hot for February and March if you ask me. I’m well known for being grumpy about the shortness of proper autumn and winter. So I was quite happy last Monday when the weather turned, the rain pelted down, and the wind howled around my frizzy hair while Westley and I walked along the deserted beach. Even if it meant having to towel him down twice since the rain literally didn’t stop all day. This is noteworthy for this country. Rain is rarely something we have to “put up with” for hours on end here. It usually pours bucket-loads for a few hours then stops. And yes, I realize that is probably why I love it; because I don’t have to live with it for days and days. Anyway. Point is it’s been a nice cold week. And it’s also a great opportunity to post a recipe for soup. Spring is around the corner and soups will be taking a back seat to lighter, airier, salad-y type foods, or even ice lollies, very soon.

So here goes. A yummy soup made with Portobello mushrooms. It’s very mushroom-y, so you’ve got to like them to like this! It’s super easy -of course, as it’s a slow cooker recipe- and apart from enjoying it by the bowl-full you could freeze some and have it ready to use in casseroles. No need for tinned soup! If you want to make it cream of mushroom, just add some cream or evaporated milk at the end of cooking, the amount you add is between you and your taste buds. If you are planning on freezing some, leave the milk out and add it after reheating. You know what else is delicious to serve it with? A drizzle of balsamic cream, or balsamic reduction! (Not for the “cream of” version though). Perfect for Lent which just started here in Greece!

Ingredients

500gr Portobello mushrooms

1 onion, small to medium

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp thyme, dried

1/2 tsp rosemary, dried

1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp lemon pepper or plain pepper

3 cups boiling water

heavy cream or evaporated milk, optional and in quantities of your preference

balsamic cream or balsamic reduction, optional (if not using cream/milk)

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Pepper

I always have lemon pepper in my cuboard because I really love its taste and spark. If you don’t have any you can substitute with regular black pepper, preferably freshly cracked.

Step 1

Roughly chop the mushrooms and onion in large-ish pieces and put in the slow cooker insert.

Step 2

Add the oil, lemon juice, garlic paste, herbs, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Pour the hot water over the top and cook on low for 10 hours.

Step 3

When ready, use a stick blender to blend the soup till smooth.

Step 4

Taste and adjust seasoning; I added 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Add cream or milk to your liking and let the soup heat through again if necessary, or serve plain, or with a drizzle of balsamic cream.

Tip: If freezing some of the soup, leave the cream or milk out and add it after reheating if desired. Individual portions in zip lock bags are the best option for freezing.