Mushroom & Pepperberry Soup

Ingredients

• 70g dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1½ cups hot water
• 3 tbsp butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 400g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• ½ tsp dried or fresh chillies
• 2 tbsp ground pepperberries
• 3½ cups vegetable stock
• 150mL oat milk cooking cream, extra for serving
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Extra pepperberries, to taste

Method

• Place dried shiitakes in a heat-proof bowl, add in hot water and cover for 20 mins. Carefully remove from water with a slotted spoon and slice. Set water aside.
• On a medium/high heat, heat butter or oil in a large pot. Add all mushrooms, onion, garlic, chilli and ground pepperberries and sauté for 5 mins, or until mushrooms are soft and browned.
• Add in vegetable stock and reserved water from the shiitakes and allow to simmer on a medium heat for 20 mins.
• Remove from heat and add in oat milk cream and stir well.
• With an immersion blender, blend to a smooth consistency Add in extra oat milk cream if needed. You can also split the batch in half and blend in a high-speed blender.
• Add salt, pepper and extra pepperberry to taste.
• Mix up the 400g of mushrooms with a combo of fresh lion’s mane, oyster, enoki or Swiss brown mushrooms.