Mushroom Soup with Garlic Sourdough Croutons

Crunchy sourdough croutons take this creamy mushroom soup to the next level. Adding a little rice to soups is a great way to thicken them. knob butter 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, pale section only, halved lengthways, sliced

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

500 grams portobello mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced 1 litre chicken stock ¼ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon cracked pepper

1 tablespoon long grain rice ½ cup cream

1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar 4 slices sourdough, roughly torn into bite-sized chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt fresh thyme leaves

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat to melt the butter. Add the leek and tarragon and fry until the leek is soft and caramelised. Add the mushrooms and garlic then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened. Increase the heat, add the stock, salt, pepper and rice and gently simmer with the lid partially on for 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and blitz using a stick blender or food processor. Return to the heat and stir through the cream and apple cider vinegar.

Place the sourdough chunks, olive oil, garlic and sea salt in a large bowl and toss together. Place on the prepared baking tray, spread out to a single layer and grill for 2-4 minutes until golden and crunchy. Flip the croutons and grill for a further few minutes.

Divide the soup among bowls and top with the croutons and thyme, if using, before serving.