Roasted Garlic and mushroom soup with rice and herbs

• 6 fat cloves of garlic
• l oz of organic salt free butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or groundnut oil
• l large mild onion
• l lb of mixed fresh organic mushrooms
• l oz of dried mixed mushrooms
• 2 oz cooked brown rice
• 3 pts of good quality hot vegetable stock
• handful of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley and coriander
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

 

To serve:

 Chunks of spelt or rye bread and grated parmesan cheese  

To prepare:

 Wash the dried mushrooms in a sieve and then soak in cold water for at least 30 mins until rehydrated and soft.  Drain the mushrooms, retaining the soaking liquid.  Finely chop the mushrooms and set aside. Blanch the unpeeled garlic cloves for 30 seconds in simmering water, then add to an oiled baking dish, toss to coat in oil, cover and roast in a medium hot oven until soft (probably about 20 mins).  Squeeze the soft garlic flesh out of the skins.  Wash out the baking dish with a little of the vegetable stock and add to the mushroom soaking liquid.  Discard the skins.  Mash the garlic cloves with a little pure olive oil to form a paste. Finely chop the onion.  Heat the butter with a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan until hot, add the onion and sweat gently over a medium to low heat for 20 to 30 mins until the onion is soft and golden.  Add the garlic puree and stir well. Add the dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid, plus the hot vegetable stock.  Cover and simmer gently for 10 mins. Meanwhile, finely slice the raw mushrooms and add to the soup.  Simmer gently for another 10 minutes.
Stir in the roughly chopped herbs and rice, simmer for 2 minutes to heat through.  Season and serve with a light scattering of parmesan and chunks of warm spelt or rye bread.