Soetes & Soup 2019 Mushroom Soup Recipe
One year ago we started collaborating with actor, celebrity and now top-selling cookbook creator Armand Aucamp. We began to wine and dine the foodie platform of South Africa with canapés from his book and carefully selected wines from our ranges. When it was time to select our festival soup for 2019, there was no doubt that we would pull one of Armand’s recipes from his book for this year’s Breedekloof Soetes & Soup Festival.
One of the many things that we admire of Armand is that he always challenges his fans to be themselves and continue to explore - especially in the kitchen. Be playful in the kitchen and use the recipes as guidelines, he would say, so that is exactly what our staff decided to do this year, albeit with clothes on.
Our two soup-makers for 2019 was Sarlé, our Lab Analyst and Helga, our Creditors Clerk. Together they cooked up a storm (600L of Mushroom soup) and decided to add bacon (because everything tastes better when adding l’ bacon) and ‘unbantify’ the recipe by removing the almond flour and using wheat flour instead - like ouma used to make soup.
At our Du Toitskloof en Armand Kook Kaal Food and Wine Events, we make this zesty Mushroom soup and pair it with our Dimension Red Blend. The 2015 vintage was wooded for two years in French oak and the blend consist of 35% Shiraz, 25% Pinotage, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. It shows good character, pomegranate hues and vanilla, dark chocolate and spicy aromas. The 2015 vintage was also awarded a silver medal at the 2018 Veritas Awards.
Bacon, Lemon & Mushroom Soup Recipe
This recipe has been modified from the banting recipe in Armand Kook Kaal and makes 15 litres.
Ingredients
750g Butter
6 Leeks, finely chopped
6 Garlics, finely chopped
1kg of Bacon Bits
18 spoons Flour
18 cubes Vegetable stock (dissolved in 6L of water)
30g Oregano, dried
3kg Mushrooms, finely chopped
3 Lemons (Grated skins from 3 Lemons and juice from 1 Lemon)
3L Milk
1.5L Cream
Method
Melt butter, fry leeks, garlic and bacon in butter
Blend until smooth
Add flour slowly until consistency becomes pasty
Add vegetable stock and stir slowly
Add oregano and leave to cook
Add mushrooms, lemon skins and juice - mix well
Blend again until smooth
Add milk and lower heat for 15 minutes
Add cream in the end and enjoy!
(If you want to freeze the soup like we did, leave the cream out and only add it when you’re reheating the soup.)