Ingredients
2 large onions
3 juicy cloves garlic
1 Tbspn butter / Olive oil
500 gms mushrooms
2 cups well packed small spinach leaves – stems removed (Parsley as alternative)
6 cups chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled & chopped finely (diced)
70 gram packet hazelnuts - roasted
Few sliced and pan fried mushrooms
Slices of fresh spring onion
Few extra roasted hazelnuts
Method
1. Peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic.
2. Heat the butter / Olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, garlic and mushrooms, cook over a moderate heat until the onions have softened and the mushroom have gained some golden brown colour.
3. Add the chicken stock, spinach and diced potato and allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While cooking the soup, roast the hazelnuts in a 180 degrees Celsius oven for 10 minutes. Allow hazelnuts to cool, remove skins by rubbing in palm of hands. Process the nuts in a food processor - set aside.
5. Add the soup to the food processor in batch lots and process until smooth. Return the soup and the hazelnuts to the saucepan and reheat.
(If wished you could thicken the soup by mixing 2 tablespoons flour and butter together and whisking in to the soup - Simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.)
6. Serve the soup with the toppings listed above.