Quick Bites: Vegan mushroom soup (serves four)

Recipe from The Scottish Vegan Cookbook by Jackie Jones, Birlinn, £16.99.

You’ll need

5g dried ­shiitake or wild mushrooms, chopped

50ml warm water

1½ tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Two cloves of ­garlic, crushed

250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped

250g white cap mushrooms, chopped

4 tbsp vegan sherry

500ml vegan stock

2 tsp dried thyme

1½ tsp ­balsamic vinegar

150ml soya or oat cream

Salt and pepper

Method

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for 10 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat the oil, add the onion and sweat until softened. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms (including any residual soaking water) and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the sherry and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the stock and thyme, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool before stirring in the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste. Blend until smooth, then return to the pan. Add the cream and bring back to serving temperature.