Mushroom velouté (with croûtons)

2 months ago, I disliked mushroom soups. I happened to go to Giverny with my companion for a short 2-days trip, completely off-season. We did not know that, come November, the town was virtually empty on weekdays. We couldn't even find a single restaurant opened for lunch. Fortunately, our nearby hotel had its own inn, but with a unique menu... whose starter was a mushroom velouté. Well, we didn't have other options, so I relunctantly went with it. I'm very glad I did. You've guessed it ; this mushroom velouté was out of this world. I was immediately bent on reproducing it, sooner rather than later. I'm proud to say I managed to recreate it on my first attempt. Sometimes, French cooking is quite simple to figure out ; good produce and decent amounts of butter and cream will go a long way. Fear not ; this mushroom velouté is not unreasonable, considering you only need a small serving of this thick, creamy soup to be satisfied.

Mushroom velouté - Recipe

Ingredients - Advice & key points

• Mushrooms :
  • I used 50% button mushrooms to bulk up the soup, 25% chanterelles for their fruity flavour, and 25% shiitake mushrooms for a smokier taste.
  • You could only use simple button mushrooms, and the soup would still be delicious.
• Veggie option :
  • This is almost a veggie dish ; i used chicken bouillon for this recipe.
  • You can of course use veggie stock instead, but try to find a decent one !
• Heavy cream : Use quality, full-fat heavy cream for this recipe.
• I've tried the recipe without white wine and it's just as good.
• The vinegar-cap trick is a common one amongst professional chefs ; when added by the end, it elevates most soups' flavour instantly, without being detactable at all.
• You can either serve this velouté as a main -I especially like it for a light supper- or as a starter ; the serving size here is more advisable for starters.

Let's get soupy !