By Caitlin Beer
A world famous wild mushroom, Chanterelles are also known as Girolles in France and the UK, Pfifferling in Germany and Lisichka in Russia and the Ukraine. They have a unique, nutty, buttery flavour that some say has a peppery taste. When fresh, they have an aroma reminiscent of apricots, which I look forward to every year.
In European culture many grow up foraging wild mushrooms with their families or seeing wild mushrooms in local markets.
There are many different varieties of Chanterelles that grow in Canada. Some examples are Cantharellus subalbidus, C. cinnabarinus, C. cibarius, C. formosus, and
Craterellus tubaeformis as well as many others.
You can buy dried Chanterelles online here or learn to forage them for yourself*at your own risk after doing sufficient research and/or mentoring under an experienced forager.
Many people prefer them fresh, but their flavour is greatly concentrated when dried, which I love. Yes, their texture is much different and slightly chewy but still delicious. This is why I prefer to crush them into smaller chunks which means more flavour in each bite! Even if I have fresh chanterelles on hand, I still use dried in this soup, and just add a few freshly sautéed (or pickled) to garnish.
Did you know that mushrooms are technically not a plant at all? They don't
they have a symbiotic relationship with certain plants and trees where they give the plants water, minerals and nutrients in exchange for sugars (energy). Chanterelles haven't been successfully grown commercially because of this relationship.
They are a great source of vegan vitamin D, boasting your daily value of vitamin D (400-800 IU) per 100 g of fresh mushrooms (=10 grams dried) which they make in the same way as humans, from sun exposure. Which they only get because they are wild mushrooms! They also are a source of B vitamins, iron and more.
CREAMY CHANTERELLE POTATO SOUP
5-6 servings
Approximately 286 calories per 1 cup (8 oz.) serving
Recipe makes approximately 1.5 liters of soup
Takes about 25 minutes from start to finish
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 14 grams dried Wildland Foods Chanterelles** click here to view product
• 3 medium sized yellow or russet potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons butter or sunflower oil
• 1 small onion or half a medium onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Wildland Foods nettle flakes or parsley click here to view product
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or spruce tips)
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 cup Whipping cream or coconut cream***
• 1 cup Water (mix with cornstarch)
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch (optional, can omit and blend half of soup to thicken)
DIRECTIONS
》Add to a medium sized pot and simmer on low
• 2 c. vegetable, chicken or mushroom broth
• 14 grams dried Chanterelles, crushed 1/4"
• 1/4 t. Celery seed (optional)
》While the above simmers, chop and add to broth:
• 3 medium sized potatoes, diced into approximately 3/4" chunks
• 14 grams dried Chanterelles, crushed or ground
》Now heat skillet on medium low and sauté for 10-15 min being careful to watch and stir so it doesn't burn:
• 3 T sunflower oil (or butter)
• 1 small onion diced or 1/2 med onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
》Check your broth and potatoes and give them a stir, potatoes should be tender in 20 minutes from actively simmering.
》Onions and garlic should be lightly browned or caramelized if you have the patience. Now add onions to broth and potato pot as well as:
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t dried nettle flakes or parsley*
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/2 c. Whipped cream or coconut cream
• 1 c. Cold water (mix with 3 T cornstarch)
Now you have three options:
Either
A. You add 3 T cornstarch to thicken (mix with cold water before adding to avoid clumps) (medium thickness)
Or
B. You blend half of the soup so the potatoes thicken it. (Thickest option)
C. Just leave it as is (thin broth)
Add more salt if desired
Serve with garlic grilled swiss or mozzarella cheese toast if you'd like, or buns or biscuits!
Pair with Pinot grigio or other white wine, cider, or sparkling apple or pear juice if you so desire.
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS:
• Add 4 slices of bacon, diced when cooking onions
• Garnish with parmesan or nutritional yeast
Have you tried Chanterelles? What's your favourite way to use them? I'd love to hear what you think of my recipe!
Recipe and blog post by Caitlin Beer
NOTES
**Or other dried mushrooms, morels, lobsters or pidpenky work well, but for morels and pidpenky I would rehydrate first and saute with onions and garlic for best flavour and texture. If you use fresh Chanterelles, be sure to dry saute first and brown the mushrooms well. You will need at least 1/4 lb of fresh mushrooms and I would blend or finely chop half or just add as a garnish.
***If you use other non dairy options that are less thick than coconut milk, replace water with that as well, so it will be 1.5 cups of non dairy milk
**** (you can use chopped fresh herbs if you desire)
*All Chanterelles are delicious, though we would not recommend Yellowfoot Chanterelles for this recipe for 2 reasons:
1.) they are tedious to pick much of and very lightweight, practically disappearing when dehydrated.
2.) They rehydrate much better than the others due to their hollow nature, so we would save them for garnishes or perhaps add them to this recipe whole in combination with other crushed Chanterelles.
Above: Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus)
Photographed by Caitlin Beer
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