Velouté de Champignons: Classic Creamy French Mushroom Soup

Prepare your vegetables: Clean the mushrooms thoroughly with a damp cloth and slice them. Finely chop the shallot and mince the garlic cloves.

Sauté the aromatics: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 20g of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Cook the mushrooms: Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Increase the heat slightly to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid, which then evaporates, and they start to brown nicely, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves.

Make the roux: Push the cooked mushrooms to one side of the pot. Add the remaining 20g of butter to the empty side and let it melt. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the melted butter and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes to create a smooth, light roux.

Build the velouté base: Gradually whisk in the vegetable stock, a little at a time, ensuring that each addition is fully incorporated before adding more, to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, until it thickens.

Simmer and blend: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until it is smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender and blend until smooth.

Finish and serve: Stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Gently reheat the soup over low heat, being careful not to bring it to a boil after adding the cream. Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!