Chanterelles look like yellow flowers that grow in small colonies in the temperate climates of Europe and Asia. These mushrooms are found in Canada and America, but there is no tradition of “silent hunting” there, so chanterelles can only be bought in stores, and they are not cheap. In our country, chanterelles or cockerels are familiar to everyone; they are boiled, fried, pies are baked with them and frozen for the winter. Chanterelle soup has a subtle aroma and looks appetizing, and if you take into account all the beneficial properties of the “red girlfriends”, it turns out that you need to stock up on these mushrooms and periodically treat yourself to healthy and tasty mushroom dishes.
Why are chanterelles good?
I would like to start listing the beneficial properties of cute mushrooms with the aesthetic pleasure of contemplating them, the exquisite nutty flavor and pleasant elasticity. Agree, the pleasure from the most medicinal product is overshadowed by its external unattractiveness or too original taste, which has to be neutralized during the preparation process. There are no such problems with chanterelles; the main task is to emphasize their taste and not overwhelm it with too strong sensations from other ingredients.
Mushroom pickers and chanterelle lovers know that these mushrooms are not wormy. Parasites avoid appetizing food because it contains the polysaccharide quinomannose - death for pests and medicine for us. Unfortunately, quinomannose is destroyed when heated to 50°C, but consuming dried chanterelle powder is a proven remedy for worms. Chanterelle soup will not be a cure for helminthic infestations, but our recipe has other undoubted advantages.
Mushrooms contain beta-carotene, which colors the flesh yellow, vitamins B, D, PP, as well as copper and zinc. Among the “piquant” substances, I would like to mention arsenic in small doses, but the mushroom version of this poison is not dangerous, it activates metabolic processes.
Of particular interest is mushroom protein, which is close to plant protein, and its content in mushroom caps is very high. The soup will provide you with a full portion of protein, and it will be absorbed by 70%, which is very good. But there is little fat and carbohydrates in mushrooms, which means that mushroom soup can be classified as a dietary dish. When frying, the mushrooms are generously flavored with oil, increasing the calorie content of the dish, but our recipe will contain a minimum of extraneous fats.
The irresistible mushroom aroma comes from terpenes and extractives. Chanterelle soup has a tempting scent, but if you have problems with the liver, kidneys or stomach, it is better to avoid it. And if you have diabetes, you can and should eat mushroom soup, since carbohydrates in this case do not increase sugar levels.
With Chiken
This hearty version of the soup will appeal to meat lovers. We will need:
- chanterelles (half a kilo);
- water (3 liters);
- medium-sized carrots (1 pc.);
- chicken (250 grams);
- potatoes (4-5 pcs.);
- onions (2 pcs.);
- butter (50 g);
- greens (parsley and dill);
- salt, pepper, bay leaf;
- garlic (3 cloves);
- flour (1 tbsp).
With chicken and greens
Cooking process
- Place the meat in a saucepan, add water and wait until the liquid boils. Next, reduce the heat and cook until the chicken is ready. At this time, you can chop chanterelles, potatoes, carrots and greens. Don't forget to remove the foam from the surface of the broth.
- Remove the chicken from the container and separate the meat from the bones. We cut the pieces and return them back. Next, add the mushrooms to the pan along with the bay leaf. Pepper and salt the broth, cook for another 20 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, make the frying. To do this, heat the frying pan and pour chopped onions and carrots into it.
- Transfer the roast into a saucepan, add chopped herbs and garlic. Beat the resulting dish with a blender until creamy and taste it. You can add salt and pepper if desired.
- If you have some greens left, you can decorate the dish before serving.
Practical benefits of chanterelles
- First of all, it's delicious. It is impossible to confuse the taste of these cute yellow mushrooms - they have a characteristic mushroom aroma, complemented by subtle nutty and fruity notes.
- Secondly, chanterelle soup will be a source of vitamin A, which improves vision, makes hair shiny and skin young.
- Thirdly, by regularly including chanterelle dishes in your diet, you will get rid of radionuclides and heavy metal salts.
- Fourthly, preparing the soup is not difficult, and the result will please you.
- Fifthly, we offer you a recipe for Scandinavian cuisine, so you can find out what the descendants of the Vikings eat.
Selection and preparation of ingredients
Chanterelles are carefully sorted and cleaned of dry forest debris (twigs, leaves, pine needles), at the same time checking for worms and removing bad ones. It is not enough to rinse fresh agaric mushrooms under running water, since particles of sand or soil often remain under the cap.
Did you know? Chanterelle mushrooms are so named for the similarity of their color to a red fox's fur coat. Their bright color is visible from afar to mushroom pickers in the coniferous forest floor.
They are placed in a deep basin and rinsed in several waters, after which they are thrown into a colander and excess moisture is allowed to drain. If the recipe calls for vegetables, they are washed and peeled, then chopped (large or fine) according to culinary requirements.
How to recognize a true fox
Mushroom pickers recognize the chanterelle at first sight - it is yellow, its cap becomes an extension of the leg and resembles the shape of an umbrella turned upside down by the wind, the edges of the cap are wavy. If you doubt your knowledge, it is better to buy mushrooms in a store or market. False chanterelle is not a mushroom poisoner, but eating it will certainly cause trouble in the form of an upset stomach. Therefore, pay attention to the following differences:
- False chanterelles are much brighter than edible ones; they are orange.
- Real chanterelles always have irregularly shaped wavy edges, while false mushrooms are quite geometric.
- Edible mushrooms have a thick and strong stem; if you meet a chanterelle in the forest, try to lightly shake it with your finger - it will not give in, but its fake friend will spring.
- Inedible mushrooms smell unpleasant - this is their main feature. Just smell the mushroom and you won't go wrong.
- Press lightly on the mushroom - if it turns red, this will be a sign of the truth.
- Chanterelle soup can only be made from non-wormy mushrooms; if you notice signs of being bitten, this is a “cheat” before you.
Classic recipe
To prepare a classic version of the dish, we need the following ingredients:
- chanterelles (700 grams);
- large carrots (1 pc.);
- potatoes (5-6 pcs.);
- onion (1 pc.);
- cream (1 glass);
- pepper and salt;
- crackers.
Cream of mushroom soup
Cooking process
- We wash the mushrooms and cut them into pieces of any size.
- Wash the vegetables thoroughly, peel and cut.
- Pour the oil into the pan, turn on high heat and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes. Then switch the heat to medium, cover with a lid, add salt and pepper. Leave for another 7 minutes.
- Add oil to the pan and let it heat up. First add chopped onions, then carrots, and only then potatoes. Fry the ingredients for a few minutes.
- Pour water into the pan so that it covers the vegetables. Add the bay leaf, bring to a boil, and then continue to cook for another 20 minutes.
- Beat the contents of the pan with a blender. Pour mushrooms into the resulting mass and pour in the heated cream. Stir and bring to a boil, then remove from the stove.
- To decorate the dish, you can add croutons to it before serving.
These recipes do not require much cooking experience; even novice housewives can handle them.
Delicious soup with chanterelles and melted cheese
Recently, cheese soups have been of great interest to housewives because they are cooked quickly and easily, and have an original, piquant taste.
You will need:
- Processed cheese – 100 gr.
- Chanterelles – 300 gr.
- Potatoes – 2 tubers.
- Large carrot
- Green onions - 3 feathers with white heads.
- Butter – 20 gr.
- Bay leaf, basil sprig, salt.
Cook:
- Sort through the forest gifts, clearing them of debris and dirt, soak for 20 minutes. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly and cut into arbitrary pieces.
- Boil water in a saucepan and add the sliced mushrooms. After boiling, simmer for a quarter of an hour over medium heat. Skim off foam as it appears.
- Chop the onion feathers and fry in butter.
- Place coarsely grated carrots into the frying pan. Continue frying the vegetables until nicely browned.
- Peel the potato tubers and cut into soup strips. Place in a saucepan.
- After 10-15 minutes, when the potatoes become soft, add salt, add bay leaves and fried vegetables.
- Grate the processed cheese and add to the soup.
- When the soup boils, reduce the heat slightly. Cook until the cheese is melted.
- Turn off the burner, add chopped basil and serve.
French soup with chanterelles
Incomparable cream soup according to the traditions of French culinary specialists. This is a festive dish with an exquisite taste, for which it is worth tinkering with preparation. The highlight of the dish will be a pot with a dough lid, which will be used instead of bread.
Makes 6 servings:
- Mushrooms – 400 gr.
- Bacon - slice.
- Onion – 2 large heads (300 gr.).
- Cream 33% - 300 ml.
- Egg.
- Puff pastry without yeast – 300 gr.
- Celery - a pair of stalks.
- Garlic cloves – 2 pcs.
- Cognac – 60 ml.
- White wine – 200 ml.
- Salt.
- White pepper.
- Olive oil – large spoon.
Cook:
- Rinse the chanterelles and chop coarsely.
- Cut the bacon into pieces. Chop celery stalks and onion into cubes. Crush the garlic cloves with a press.
- Heat a spoonful of oil and add bacon. Fry over high heat for exactly a minute. When the fat starts to release, add the chopped vegetables. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.
- Stop frying the mushrooms. Soon a lot of liquid will be released. Cook, stirring frequently, until it evaporates. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Pour in the cognac and stir. Pour in the wine, let it boil, simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Transfer the contents of the frying pan to the pan, pour in the broth. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the burner and puree the soup using a blender.
- Pour in the cream, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Pour the puree soup into pots or other heat-resistant containers.
- Roll out the puff pastry, cut out 6 circles, according to the number of servings. Beat the egg and brush the edges of the circles. Cover the pots with the greased side facing inward. Seal the edges tightly.
- Place in the oven preheated to 180 o C. Keep in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The beautiful redness of the dough lid will tell you that it is ready.
Fried chanterelle soup with whipped cream
Compound:
- fresh chanterelles – 0.5 kg;
- butter – 60 g;
- carrots – 100 g;
- onions – 100 g;
- water – 1 l;
- potatoes – 0.5 kg;
- whipped cream - to taste;
- salt, spices - to taste.
Calorie content of the dish per 100 g: 49 kcal.
Cooking method:
- Boil the prepared mushrooms for 30 minutes in water, pour the broth into a clean pan, cool the chanterelles, cut into small pieces.
- Melt half the butter specified in the recipe in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms in it.
- Peel the carrots and chop them on a grater.
- Remove the peel and finely chop the onion.
- Fry the onions and carrots in the remaining oil.
- Peel the potatoes, cut into small cubes, dip in mushroom broth, place on the stove and cook until soft.
- Set aside a spoonful of fried mushrooms to garnish the soup, and place the rest in the pan where the potatoes are boiled. Place the roasted vegetables in there.
- Cook for 5 minutes, then blend into a smooth paste using an immersion blender.
- Add salt and pepper, bring to a boil and boil for a couple of minutes, stirring the soup so that it does not burn.
