Chanterelle Soup on Beef Broth with Potatoes

Name: Chanterelle Soup on Beef Broth with Potatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Beef bones or ribs 300 g; Fresh chanterelles 300 g; Carrot 1; Onion 1; Potatoes 1-2; Garlic 1-2 cloves; Salt, black pepper to taste

Let's make chanterelle soup. Only as a grown-up did I realize that “lisichka”, the chanterelle, isn't the little fox sister from the fairy tale. The chanterelle is probably the best-known edible mushroom. I'm not sure about the best-known, but it's certainly the most common!

In late spring or early summer, chanterelles pop up in the forest en masse, like little lights. They're scattered like orange beads over the bright green moss. To me, chanterelles in the forest are a bit like freckles.

An important thing about chanterelles: they're never wormy. They're one of the few gilled mushrooms I confidently pick in the forest. Chanterelles are rich in minerals and vitamins, and for B vitamins, for example, they're record-holders. Their very firm, not at all brittle flesh is tasty however you cook it.

There are many ways to cook chanterelles. I think the tastiest is chanterelles fried with onion and piled on boiled potatoes. That taste has stayed with me since childhood. Every year we make this dish at least once, without fail. A family tradition. The aroma and rich flavor of chanterelles mean you don't need many spices; salt and black pepper are enough. Remarkably, you can't ruin the dish. Chanterelles are usually boiled before frying; that's up to you.

Late spring and early summer is the first chanterelle season. The main wave comes at the end of summer. For now, making do with a little, let's cook chanterelle soup.

Since I always boil mushrooms and pour off the first water, making a rich broth from chanterelles is rather tricky. So, keeping it simple, we'll make the soup on a rich beef bone broth, and boil the mushrooms briefly first, or just soak them in boiling water for a while.

Chanterelle soup, the best mushroom soup of early summer

Ingredients

2 servings

Beef bones or ribs 300 g
Fresh chanterelles 300 g
Carrot 1
Onion 1
Potatoes 1-2
Garlic 1-2 cloves
Salt, black pepper to taste

Step-by-step recipe

Let's make chanterelle soup on a rich broth. You'll need bones with meat on them, or ribs. Pork works, but beef is better. Beef makes a tastier broth, though that's a matter of taste. Wash the bones, put them in a pot and cover with a liter of cold water. Put the pot on the heat and bring to a boil. Be sure to skim off the foam; this matters. Simmer the broth at the gentlest simmer you can manage. It should barely bubble and never boil hard. Then a clear, rich broth is guaranteed. I recommend simmering the bones for at least an hour, until the meat comes away.
While the broth simmers, sort through the chanterelles, discarding any damaged or spoiled ones. Wash them thoroughly to remove sand and stuck-on leaves, pine needles and so on.
Put the chanterelles in a deep bowl and pour boiling water from the kettle over them. Leave the mushrooms in the hot water for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse them under running water.
Peel the vegetables: potatoes, onion, carrot and garlic. Cut the potatoes fairly large, each into 6-8 pieces. Slice the onion into strips lengthwise; that way it breaks down less. Cut the carrot into small slices. You can crush the garlic with a knife or slice it.
Take the boiled bones out of the broth and pick off the meat. I know there won't be much meat, but this is a chanterelle mushroom soup. Throw away the bones and return the meat to the soup. At the same time, add all the prepared vegetables to the soup.
Simmer the broth over low heat, stirring, until the potatoes and carrot are cooked.
Note that we haven't added salt or spices yet. Here's why: you may not even want to add them, the chanterelle soup will be that rich once the mushrooms go in.
As soon as the vegetables are almost done, add the mushrooms. People often suggest slicing or chopping the mushrooms. I wouldn't, since it doesn't change the flavor, and eating a whole mushroom is much nicer than fishing bits out of the soup.
Simmer the chanterelle soup for 15 minutes. Then taste it. Salt and pepper if you think it needs it, to your taste. Strictly to your taste! I confess I didn't; I didn't dare overpower the flavor of the mushrooms.
Ladle the chanterelle soup into bowls and serve right away. I wouldn't add herbs, for the reasons above.
Chanterelle soup smells so good it teases your nose and makes your mouth water. You simply can't resist.