Mushroom chowder
Prep time: 50 minsTotal time: 
Mushroom chowder
Lion’s mane mushrooms are known for their meaty, seafood-like texture, perfect for bulking out a comforting plant-based soup like this one
Prep time: 50 minsTotal time: 
Nadine Brown
Nadine Brown
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 1 large leek, trimmed and sliced, green end discarded
- 200g lion’s mane mushrooms, torn into pieces
- 40g Inspired to Cook Porcini Mushroom Paste
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 200ml white wine
- 800ml vegetable stock, made using 2 stock pots
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (215g peeled weight)
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 150ml double cream
- 1 tsp runny honey
- handful of chives, finely chopped
For the croutons
- 2 thick slices ciabatta, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mushroom seasoning powder (we used Lee Kum Lee Premium Mushroom Seasoning Powder)
- large pinch of ground white pepper
Step by step
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Heat the butter in a deep saucepan. Add the leek with a large pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
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Add the mushrooms to the pan, stirring to combine. Cook for 6 minutes, occasionally pressing the mushrooms down to help them turn golden, stirring every 2 minutes. Add the mushroom paste and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping at the bottom and simmering until reduced by a quarter. Stir in the stock, potatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, cover and leave to simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes to help soften the potatoes, then uncover and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until thickened and the potatoes are cooked through.
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Meanwhile, start on the croutons. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, followed by the mushroom powder, ground white pepper and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden and crunchy.
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Remove the thyme and bay leaves and scoop 2-3 ladles of the chowder, depending on how chunky you want it to be, into a blender. Blitz until smooth. Scrape back into the pan and stir in the cream and honey. Season to taste and serve topped with the croutons and chives.
