This is a delicious soup, which is substantial enough to be served as a main meal. The mixture of dill and paprika is an unusual flavour but they compliment each other very well, especially with the addition of smetana a type of sour cream found in Eastern European delicatessens.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 banana shallots or 1 large onion
- 400g Mushrooms (Rehydrated weight if using dried mushrooms)
- 1-2 tbsp mushroom powder (optional)
- 300g of broad beans (preferably peeled) or 1 x 400g tin of beans (suggest blackeye beans)
- 2 medium sized floury potatoes
- 1 tbsp of rice flour (can use plain wheat flour)
- 1 heaped teaspoon of sweet paprika
- Slug of mushroom ketchup
- ½ bunch of dill (approx. 15-20 stalks)
- ½ bunch of parsley
- 10-20 chopped wild garlic leaves or tablespoon of dried wild garlic flakes (substitute for chives or crow garlic if not in season)
- 2 tsp of nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tbsp barely miso (Or 4 tsp vegetable stock power)
- Twist black pepper
- Cream or smetana to serve (optional)
For the stock –
- Edible garden weeds such as nettle and goosegrass, leek tops and bay leaves and shallot/onion skin
Method
- Half fill a large pan with garden weeks, chopped leek tops, add 4-5 bay leaves and top with water.
- Warm the butter and olive oil then add the shallots or onion.
- Once they start to turn translucent, chop the mushrooms into small pieces and add to the pan.
- After 3-4 minutes coat the mushrooms in the paprika and stir well, cook for a minute or so then add the rice flour and sprinkle in the mushroom powder.
- Add the miso paste or stock powder.
- Top up with approx. 1 litre of the stock.
- Chop the potatoes finely and add to the pan.
- Simmer for 5 minutes or so then add the drained can of beans.
- Simmer for another 5 minutes then add the finely chopped stalks of the herbs, the nutritional yeast flakes and the mushroom ketchup.
- Continue to simmer for a few more minutes until the potato is soft, at this point chop the tops of the herbs and add to the mix.
- Check for seasoning, add the pepper if necessary.
- Serve with a good helping of single cream and crusty bread (suggest seeded sourdough)