Chanterelle season in Austria is something special. From late July through September, these golden mushrooms appear at every market and end up in everything from pasta to this silky, deeply flavourful cream soup. What sets this version apart is the garnish — five tiny chanterelles marinated overnight in honey and vinegar, placed on a crispy crouton that floats on top of the soup. It’s a small detail that takes the dish from simple to restaurant-worthy.
This soup is vegetarian, comes together in about 30 minutes (plus overnight marinating time for the garnish), and works equally well as an elegant starter or a light main course.
Ingredients
- 500 g chanterelle mushrooms
- 1 onion
- Some butter
- Herbs (celery greens or parsley)
- 2 cups sour cream
- Soup seasoning
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 250 ml milk
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt
- Pepper
- Nutmeg
- 5 small fresh chanterelle mushrooms (for garnish)
- 1 tsp honey (for garnish)
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Some water
- Thinly sliced bread pieces
Instructions
Marinate the garnish:
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- Place the 5 small chanterelle mushrooms in a bowl.
- Mix with 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp vinegar, and some water.
- Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Prepare the remaining ingredients:
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- Clean the 500 g chanterelle mushrooms thoroughly and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Finely chop the onion.
- Finely chop the herbs.
- Thinly slice the bread.
Sauté the chanterelle mushrooms:
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- Sauté the 500 g chopped chanterelle mushrooms in a pan without any fat until they release their water.
- Drain the mushrooms and reserve the liquid.
Prepare the soup:
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- In a large pot, heat some butter and sauté the chopped onion until translucent.
- Add the drained chanterelle mushrooms and sauté briefly over medium heat.
- Add the chopped herbs and sauté briefly.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream with the cornstarch and soup seasoning until smooth.
- Add this mixture to the pot and heat while stirring constantly until it thickens slightly.
- Add the reserved mushroom liquid and milk, and mix well.
- Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Stir in 1 tsp honey and bring the mixture to a boil.
Prepare the bread for garnish:
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- In a pan, heat some butter and toast the thinly sliced bread pieces until golden brown and crispy.
Serve:
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- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Place the marinated chanterelle mushrooms on top of the toasted bread slices.
- Float the bread slices with the marinated mushrooms on the soup.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.