Cream of Wild Chanterelle Soup

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This is kind of a bonus recipe because it isn’t really for backpacking but for when you come back from the woods with some delicious little morsels and want something yummy to make with them!  And, since the weather is usually the kind that makes you want to stay home but you braved the outdoors anyway, this soup is the perfect way to warm up after traipsing around outdoors.

We went to a workshop at REI this last week on mushroom identification because it’s always fun to learn a bit more about foraging, I say.  There is another one coming up. I know a few mushrooms confidently enough to eat, like the oyster and this beauty:

Two years ago I had the pleasure of going mushroom hunting for the first time and discovered how to find the wonderful chanterelle.  I had never cooked with them before so the first thing I did was simply sauté some up with garlic and coconut oil and OMG they were so good.  The second thing I tried was making a cream of mushroom soup which turned out delicious.  Who knew that I could forage food in the forest and make a dish so divine?

#mincedgarlic #chanterelles #coconutoil #broth #coconutmilk #pureedcauliflower

For this batch, I “hunted” at Costco because I haven’t had a free weekend to get out to my favorite place for finding mushrooms but the soup tasted just as good.  The bonus is that when you buy them at the store, you don’t have to do as much cleaning.

The truth is that I don’t worry so much about getting every little bit of dirt; a pine needle or two never bothered me.  But if they have some pretty good grime on them, I will lightly rinse them to get them clean as long as they are going to go right into the pot (before they absorb too much water).

First things first, mince and dice your garlic and mushrooms and saute them in the coconut oil until soft.  Then, add the broth and simmer for about 20 minutes.  I used chicken broth but veggie broth would work.  I thought about mushroom broth (it’s a thing) but I think it would distract from the flavor of the chanterelles.

Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower until soft and then puree in the food processor with the coconut milk until smooth.

Add to the broth and simmer for a few more minutes.  Salt to taste.  I contemplated adding some spice but decided to let the chanterelle steal the show.  I hope you enjoy it!

This is not a super thick soup and you couldn’t use it recipes that call for cream of mushroom soup.  However, if you would like it a little thicker, you could use potatoes instead of the cauliflower or a few tablespoons of arrowroot powder (mixed in a few tablespoons of cold water first).