Garlic Mushroom & Camembert soup.

It is officially soup season and I am going to assault you with my wacky but delicious flavours. Do expect some corkers in the run up to Christmas, that will not only be flavoursome but fruitfully frugal as well !.

My Father is always picking me up Camembert when he spots one on the reduced shelf, and as a result of this I now have a mini Camembert mountain in my fridge.
It is a really versatile cheese, and even though it is delicious when melted with rosemary and fresh bread, it can also be used in sauces, salads, pasta, you name it. The wax around the cheese holds so much flavour, so make sure you use that as well.

You will need…..
1 roughly cut Camembert with white wax still on
1 punnet of sliced and washed mushrooms
4 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 cube vegetable stock cube
1 tbsp butter
4 pints of water
5 basil leaves finely chopped

Put the butter in a large saucepan and place on a medium heat. when the butter has melted add the garlic and onion, then fry until the onion is clear.

Add the mushrooms while continually stirring,  making sure the mushrooms are coated in the garlic butter.
When the mushrooms are soft, add a splash of water and the crumbled stock cube and mix well.

Pop the camembert in the mix, then when the cheese is soft and gooey, add the remaining water and basil.

Cover with a lid and bring the soup to a boil, then reduced the heat, remove the lid and let it gently simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
When the soup has cooled down, blend it so there are no lumps of mushrooms or onion and add seasoning to your  desired taste.

 
This is a great soup to make a day before you intend to serve it, if not heat it up again and serve piping hot. Also any left overs can be easily frozen, added to pasta to make a fab sauce or paired up with some chicken. I often add a garlic bread croûton to make it a little bit naughtier, and feel free to add a good blob of cream to make it beautifully rich.