MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients:
Flat or field mushrooms - 400 gms
Onion - 1 small or 
Leek - 1
Carrot - 1
Garlic clove - 1
Potato - 1
Virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
bay leaf - 1
Mixed dried herbs - 1/2 tsp
Fresh tarragon - 1 tsp (chopped)
Nutmeg - 2 pinches
Lemon juice - 1/2
Salt and white pepper

Method:

• Chop the leek or onion, the carrot and garlic and dice the potato.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Reserve a few small mushrooms for the garnish, take the stalks off the rest, then add both the caps and stalks to the pan with the leek or onion, potato, carrot, garlic, bay leaf and mixed herbs.
• Cook for 10 minutes over a fairy high heat, stirring constantly.
• Add 2 pints of water. Simmer for 25 minutes and add the tarragon, nutmeg and lemon juice.
• Blend the vegetable broth in a liquidiser, season to taste and reheat gently.
• Clean and cut the reserved raw mushrooms into thin slices.
• Add the mushroom slices and serve.