Love it!
And the walnuts add all the crunch to take this from being just another mushroom soup, to something really special.
When I did my recent photo shoot, this was the dish I was most excited to choose for lunch (and there were a lot of good options!).
If you have some exotic mushrooms, by all means go for it. But this soup is fabulous with humble button mushies from the supermarket.
WINE MATCH: A big oaky chardonnay or an earthy pinot noir.
more substantial (carb lovers) - Serve with crusty bread and butter or toss in some cooked pasta, quinoa or chickpeas after the soup has been pureed.
more substantial (low carb) - double the walnuts and / or use more butter.
more veg - soften an onion before browning the mushrooms. Add diced carrot and celery with the stock and simmer a little longer until the veg are tender.
extreme mushroom - add a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms with the stock. Or a few teaspoons porcini mushroom powder.
different mushrooms - fab also with large flat mushrooms (field), shittake, portabello or a mixture of mushies.
dairy-free - use extra virgin olive oil to crisp the sage and toast the walnuts.
nut-free - replace walnuts with cooked chickpeas or sourdough bread crumbs.
no sage - the brown butter walnuts will work without. OR try thyme leaves or rosemary instead.
no stock - use a can of tomatoes + 1/2 cup of water as well - of soup too thick add extra water.
extra creamy - if you love extra creamy soups - add a drizzle of cream when pureeing the soup.
Yes! Just cook soup as per the recipe but keep the walnuts, sage and brown butter separately so they remain crisp. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, bring soup back to a simmer and melt butter in a small frying pan.