Cream Of Mushroom Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups button mushrooms
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 3/4 cups milk
1 pinch dried basil
2 -3 tablespoons cream
salt
freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil leaf, to garnish

Preparation

Pull the caps away from the mushroom stalks.
Finely slice the caps and chop the stalks, keeping the 2 piles separate.
Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy based saucepan and add the chopped onion, mushroom stalks and 1/2-3/4 of the sliced mushroom caps.
Fry about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, and then cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually add the stock and milk to make a smooth, thin sauce.
Add the basil, and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and then simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and then pour into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Melt remaining butter in a heavy based frying pan, and fry the remaining mushrooms over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until they are just tender.
Pour soup into a large clean saucepan and stir in sliced mushrooms.
Heat until very hot but not boiling and add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cream.
Serve at once garnished with the basil leaves.