Cheese Soup with Mushrooms

Pour cold water over the pre-rinsed chicken fillet and place on low heat. When the water boils, remove the foam and add salt. After about 30 minutes, add a whole peeled onion, a small carrot sliced into thick circles, and 2 cloves of allspice. Cook the broth for another 30 minutes.

Slice the remaining onion into half rings.

Cut the carrot into small pieces.

Prepare the mushrooms. Rinse and clean the champignons from dirt, divide them into 4 parts. If the mushrooms are large, slice them. If using frozen forest mushrooms, thaw them; if using dried mushrooms, soak them in water; if using fresh mushrooms, boil them in water for 10 minutes.

In a saucepan (preferably with a thick bottom), melt the butter completely and brown the first onion, followed by the carrot, until the butter takes on a light carrot shade. The vegetables should become slightly soft, golden, and infused with a creamy aroma. Add the mushrooms to the vegetables, mix and cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Cut the potatoes into cubes. Pour ready-made broth into a saucepan with vegetables and mushrooms, add the potatoes, and cook everything on low heat until the potatoes are done. You can pre-cut the meat into strips and add it to the soup when it's almost cooked.

It is recommended to use high-quality, creamy processed cheese with a high fat content, as it will easily and smoothly combine with other soup ingredients. Remove the packaging from the processed cheese, grate it coarsely, and add it to the soup while constantly stirring with a spoon to allow the cheese to fully dissolve (remember that the cheese also contains salt). To make grating the cheese easier, you can slightly freeze it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. The cheese should not boil vigorously in the soup, it is enough for it to simply dissolve, then you can turn off the heat. Enhance the taste of the soup with black pepper. Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with herbs. I used dill, but parsley and cilantro will also complement the taste of the soup nicely.

You can serve the creamy mushroom soup with croutons or hot cheese sandwiches. You can either buy ready-made croutons, which is convenient these days, or make them yourself. To do this, cut a baguette or bread into pieces and brown them in a hot skillet with a drop of vegetable or olive oil.

To add flavor to the croutons, you can grate them with garlic. Soak a clove of garlic in salt and rub both sides of the croutons with it.

Enjoy your meal!