Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 358 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500 g (1 lb) mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 6 cups stock
- 1 cup cream
- 3 cups spinach, chopped
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the pot and start the base. Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a splash of olive oil or a knob of butter and let it heat until it shimmers (or the butter melts and begins to gently foam). Starting with a properly heated fat helps the vegetables soften evenly and builds a savory foundation for the soup.
- Soften the onion and celery. Add the diced onion and finely chopped celery to the pot. Stir well so everything is lightly coated. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns soft and translucent and the celery loses its raw edge. You’re not trying to brown them here; the goal is to gently sweat them so they become sweet and aromatic, creating a balanced background flavor.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until golden. Tip in the thinly sliced mushrooms and stir to combine with the softened onion and celery. At first, the mushrooms will look bulky and may release liquid. Keep cooking, stirring from time to time, so that moisture can evaporate and the mushrooms can begin to take on color. Continue until the mushrooms are golden brown and noticeably more concentrated in flavor. This step is important for a deeper, more savory soup.
- Bloom the thyme and garlic. Add the fresh thyme and crushed garlic to the pot. Stir constantly for a short moment, just until the garlic smells fragrant. This quick cook wakes up the thyme and removes the raw sharpness of the garlic without letting it burn, which keeps the soup’s flavor clean and rounded.
- Pour in the stock and cream, then bring to a simmer. Slowly pour in the stock while stirring to lift any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the cream and stir again until the broth looks smooth and lightly creamy. Increase the heat slightly if needed and bring the soup to a gentle simmer—small bubbles around the edges rather than a rapid boil.
- Simmer the soup base for 5 minutes. Once simmering, let the soup cook for 5 minutes. This brief simmer allows the mushroom-and-herb flavors to infuse the broth and gives the soup time to come together before adding the chicken and spinach. Stir once or twice during this time to keep everything well mixed.
- Add the shredded chicken and spinach, then simmer again. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken to the pot and stir to distribute it evenly. Add the chopped spinach and fold it into the hot broth. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer for another 5 minutes, just until the spinach wilts down and the chicken is heated through. The goal is tender spinach and juicy chicken, not overcooked greens.
- Season carefully and finish with lemon juice. Taste the soup, then season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add a pinch of chilli flakes for subtle warmth. Finally, add lemon juice to taste—start with a small amount, stir, and taste again. The lemon brightens the creamy broth and lifts the savory mushroom flavor without making the soup taste “lemony.”
- Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls while it’s hot and creamy. Serve with bread of your choice for dipping and scooping so you can enjoy every bit of the broth, mushrooms, and shredded chicken.