Roasted Garlic & Porcini Cream Soup with Parmesan Crisp

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the garlic: Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Slice the top off each garlic head to expose cloves, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, wrap in foil and roast 30–35 minutes until soft and caramelized. Cool, then squeeze out the cloves and mash into a paste. Don’t skip this — it’s the backbone of flavor.

2. 2

   Rehydrate porcini: Place dried porcini in a bowl, pour 1 cup hot water over, steep 20 minutes. Strain, reserve liquid, squeeze mushrooms to extract liquor, chop porcini finely. Reserve the soaking liquid, skim any grit, and add to stock later for depth.

3. 3

   Sweat the aromatics: In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-low. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and sweet — 20–25 minutes. This caramelization gives sweet umami; patience matters.

4. 4

   Brown the fresh mushrooms: Increase heat to medium-high, add cremini mushrooms. Let them brown without crowding the pan — do in batches if needed. Season with salt and pepper. When brown, add tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw edge.

5. 5

   Build the soup: Add mashed roasted garlic, chopped rehydrated porcini, and deglaze with the white wine. Scrape browned bits off the pan. Let wine reduce by half, about 3–4 minutes.

6. 6

   Add stock and herbs: Pour in the chicken/vegetable stock and reserved porcini soaking liquid (leave any gritty sediment behind). Add thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, and simmer gently 20 minutes to meld flavors.

7. 7

   Blend to silk: Remove thyme and bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. For the silkiest texture, pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing solids through with a spatula.

8. 8

   Finish with cream and seasoning: Return to low heat, stir in heavy cream. Warm gently — do not boil. Taste and season aggressively with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. If using, stir in 1 tsp truffle oil for perfume.

9. 9

   Make Parmesan crisps: Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (or use a hot skillet). On a parchment-lined baking sheet, mound 1 tbsp grated Parmesan per crisp into 8 small rounds, flatten slightly. Bake 5–7 minutes until golden and lacy. Let cool; they will crisp further.

10. 10

    Plate and garnish: Ladle soup into warmed bowls, place a Parmesan crisp on the rim or floating, scatter chopped parsley, and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil or a light drop of truffle oil. Serve immediately.

11. 11

    Pro tips: Taste at the end — roasted garlic mellows; you may need more salt. If soup is too thick, thin with a splash of stock. Make-ahead: soup holds 2 days refrigerated; reheat gently and add a splash of cream before serving. Parmesan crisps are best fresh.