Mushroom soup reimagined: A summer twist with coconut milk

Mushroom soup has become a staple in most homes in a similar version. Some add more greens, others prefer a specific addition of cream, but ultimately, the effect is identical. However, you must try the recipe below to remove the monotony from the humble mushroom soup. It's an ideal summer variation.

Many people fear experimenting with well-known and tried recipes, fearing too much strangeness, wasted time, and products. And it's no wonder that you can easily approach the experiment with mushroom soup. Nothing terrible will happen to you here.

You can serve this version of mushroom soup hot or cold. It is creamy yet light, full of flavour but not overwhelming—the secret lies in the coconut milk, which I used instead of cream. Coconut milk is thick, so it wonderfully changes the consistency of the mushroom soup. It is also a plant-based alternative to cream, so it fits into the diet of those who are vegan or lactose intolerant.

The taste of coconut milk is not as overwhelming as many people think. If the mushroom soup itself is well-seasoned and has a lot of mushrooms, adding coconut milk will certainly not overwhelm the dish but even bring out its best, giving it delicacy. It's also worth choosing brown mushrooms, which have a more intense taste and aroma than white ones. And if you like more robust flavours, you can "season" the mushroom soup with melted cheese.

Ingredients:

• 700 grams of mushrooms,
• 1.5 litres of broth,
• a small piece of celery,
• 2 carrots,
• 3 potatoes,
• 400 millilitres of coconut milk,
• 2 tablespoons of melted cheese,
• clarified butter,
• parsley and dill,
• salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. Peel the celery, carrots, and potatoes, cut them into cubes, and then put them in the broth. Cook the mixture until the vegetables are soft.
2. Clean the mushrooms from dirt and cut them into more giant cubes or slices. Then, fry them in batches in clarified butter until they become golden and crispy. Add the fried mushrooms to the soup.
3. Optionally, add some melted cheese to the soup.
4. Once the cheese has melted, the soup is boiling, and the vegetables are soft, remove it from the heat and add the coconut milk (gradually, to taste). You can bring the soup to a boil after adding the coconut milk but remember not to allow prolonged boiling of the product. Otherwise, unappealing lumps will form.
5. Finally, season the mushroom soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs.