Mushroom soup

This soup is creamy and warming and the mushrooms contain fibre and many vitamins and minerals to support the body, including B vitamins and potassium. Serve for lunch with a crusty roll, or as a starter for dinner.

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 25g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 300g mushrooms, ideally button or chestnut, sliced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 450ml milk
• 450ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat and gently sweat the onion, green pepper, leek and garlic until they start to soften.
2. Increase the heat and add the mushrooms to the pan, stir until well combined. Continue to fry until the mushrooms are cooked. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the stock a little at a time, stirring well between each addition.
3. Once all the stock is added, return the pan to the heat, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Pour in the milk and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chopped parsley and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.