A delicious seasonal Mushroom & Truffle soup to keep you warm and give you feels on a blustery Autumn day.

For the Mushroom & Truffle Soup you’ll need:

• 300g Seasonal Mushrooms – Chesnut, Ceps, Mixed
• 50g Dried Porcini – soaked in 150ml of hot water
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• a good handful of fresh Thyme leaves
• 5 Shallots, halved and roughly chopped
• 100ml of Sherry
• 1.5 L Chicken / Veg Stock
• Seasonal Black Truffle
• Double Cream to serve
• Some lovely slices of crunchy toast
• Truffle Oil (optional)

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pan on a low-medium heat. Add the garlic, 90% of the thyme leaves and all the chopped shallots. Soften these for 5-6 mins, ensuring not to burn the garlic.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 6-7 mins.

Add the Sherry and simmer for 2 mins.

Then add the Porcini, the soaking liquid (not the last little bit as it will likely contain the gritty impurities from the mushrooms), and all of the stock. Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer gently for around 45 mins, until the liquid is reduced by around one third.

Transfer the soup to a blender and whiz until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in bowls, sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves, drizzle a little cream over and shave over your fresh truffle. Serve with crispy toast.