Low GI & Omega 3 Rich Recipes

This recipe is loosely based on a recipe by Damien Pignolet for mushroom broth with herb cream crust. I have made the original version, and it is very tasty. It is made with creme fraiche and cream which is a very special treat, but not great for every day. This much more cholesterol friendly version still fills the room with an earthy aroma and makes a very satisfying entre for a long Sunday lunch or a simple evening meal accompanied with sourdough bread.

Serves: 6-8 as an entrée, or 2-4 for a more substantial serve.

Preparation time: 20 mins, Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 litre chicken stock (use vegetable stock if serving up to vegetarians)
• 2 cups diced mushrooms. I used a mix of button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and shitake. (Whatever you can source in your local supermarket or grocery store should be fine, but a mix of several types adds to the flavour variability)
• a few strands of lemon thyme, fresh oregano and a bay leaf plus a wedge of lemon
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt – Jalna fat free biodynamic yoghurt works well
• 1 bunch chopped parsley
• a few mint leaves
• 1 bunch chives

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the crushed garlic and mushrooms and saute over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add wine and stock and simmer for another 15- 20 mins, adding salt and pepper to taste
• Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the herbs to blanch, and then cold water, then chop them finely
• Beat the egg yolks with the yoghurt and then stir in the herbs
• Strain the soup to remove the herbs and mushrooms. (Discard these, or freeze, and later add to a risotto or bolognese.)
• Divide the soup among small diameter but deep soup bowls, or small teacups
• Scoop a spoonful of the yoghurt, egg herb mix into each bowl. It will partly float to the top
• Place on a tray and grill for a few minutes to heat the herb/ egg mix.

Note: if you wish to use cream, replace the 2 tablespoons yoghurt with 1/2 cup whipped cream or creme fraiche/ or a mixture of the two and use more. The first time I made this I used too much yoghurt and found that fat free greek yoghurt does not float on soup! The egg and herbs mix does float, and a combination of egg with a small amount of yoghurt also floats on the soup and adds a nice sour tang. On one occasion when I made this I managed a crust which browned however even if the yoghurt/ egg/ herb mix blends in, the taste is still good, even if presentation is not quite as perfect.

Parsley can also be replaced with spinach, which I found by accident when I was had two bowls of chopped herbs in the fridge – one was pureed spinach and the other was finely chopped parsley and mint. Surprisingly, the spinach version was actually a winner among my guests, and next time I may experiment with a combination of  baby spinach/ parsley/ mint.

I’d recommend a few slices of multigrain sourdough as a side. Fresh, or toasted. If you like mushrooms as much as Dan does, you may find yourself cooking this again and again as it really is quite easy to do, and very satisfying!