Mushroom and Thyme Soup

Preparation

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  1.
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  Mix 100g of hot water with 10og cold water, then pour it over the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and leave them to soak.
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  2. Prepare the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion very finely and slice the leek thinly. Wipe and chop the chestnut and button mushrooms.
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  3. Heat the sunflower oil and butter in a large saucepan until the butter is bubbling, then turn down the heat and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes to soften it, stirring occasionally. Add the leek and the garlic, peeled and crushed, and cook gently for another few minutes.
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  4. Stir the chopped mushrooms into the pan. Squeeze out and chop the porcini mushrooms, saving the soaking liquid, then add them too. Pour in the hot vegetable stock and the soaking liquid from the porcini, stir and season well with salt and black pepper. Pull the leaves from some sprigs of fresh thyme, discarding the stalks, and add to the soup, then simmer it gently for about half an hour.
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  5. Turn off the heat and blend the soup. Return to the heat, add 4 heaped tablespoons of low fat crème fraiche and stir in thoroughly. Check the seasoning and the consistency
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  if the soup is too thick for your taste, just add a splash of semi-skimmed milk.
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  Serve garnished with a little crème fraiche and a few thyme leaves scattered on the top.