Mushroom, Puy Lentil & Hazelnut Soup With Fresh Herbs

Recipes & food styling Tom Hutchison
Photography Amber-Jayne Bain

	150g Puy lentils, well washed
	50ml extra virgin olive oil
	1 brown onion, peeled, finely diced
	1 carrot, peeled, cut into small cubes
	1 stick celery, trimmed, cut into small cubes
	3 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced
	a few slices of mild fresh red chilli, deseeded, or a pinch of dried chilli
	200g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
	400g small Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
	100g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
	100g fresh porcini, thinly sliced or 20g dried porcini, soaked in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes, sliced, stock reserved
	1½ litres vegetable stock or chicken stock
	1 bay leaf
	80g hazelnuts
	⅓ cup mixed basil leaves, thyme leaves & chives, chopped
	zest of 1 lemon
	100g crème fraîche

1.	Put the lentils in 500ml water and simmer for 15 minutes.
2.	Set them aside, still in their cooking water.
3.	Put a large pot on a low heat, add the extra virgin olive oil then add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and chilli.
4.	Gently sauté for a couple of minutes.
5.	Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
6.	Add the vegetable or chicken stock (and porcini stock if any) and the bay leaf and then season liberally with flaky salt and fresh pepper.
7.	Drain the lentils and add to the soup, then simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.
8.	Heat the oven to 170°C and toast the hazelnuts for 12 minutes (checking regularly) until they’re brown and the skins flake off easily.
9.	Chop or crush them and set aside.
10.	Remove the bay leaf from the soup, add the hazelnuts, herbs and lemon zest.
11.	Check and adjust the seasoning.
12.	Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, adding a dollop of crème fraîche and finishing with freshly ground black pepper.