Houbová polévka

To prepare the pickled mushrooms, heat the white wine vinegar together with the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add 50ml of water. Allow to cool to room temperature, add the mushroom mixture and let marinate while you make the soup.

Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan and once the butter starts to foam, add the fresh, cleaned and chopped mushrooms. Cook on high for 10 minutes or until all the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are a deep golden brown.

Reduce the heat and add the onion, garlic, thyme leaves and a pinch of salt and fry for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the strained mushrooms (to remove impurities) to the pot along with the strained mushroom water and chicken stock and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the whipping cream. Put the soup in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve topped with pickled mushrooms.