Mushroom and almond soup with dry sherry

An atrocious picture of an elegant and excellent mushroom soup!Probably can be prepared ahead – i’d stop after step 4 or step 5 (reheat when ready)

Serves 4

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• almost a tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 325g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 litre chicken stock (or, when in despair, use water
• 80 ml dry sherry
• 20g dried wild mushrooms, covered with boiling water to infuse
• 130g blanched almonds, lightly toasted
• 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Salt and black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Gently fry the onion and garlic for 15-20 minutes until golden and sweet, stirring every now and then.
3. Add the thyme and fresh mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes until the moisture in the mushrooms has evaporated.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the stock or water, sherry and chopped dried mushrooms and their juice to the pan.
6. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Pound the almonds in small batches in a pestle and mortar or blender until as fine as possible.
8. Stir the almonds and parsley into the soup, taste for seasoning once more, and serve.