Creamy Venison and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 600 g venison loin
• 400 g mixed mushrooms (e.g., chanterelles and porcini)
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion
• 1 Carrot
• 200 g celery root
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp juniper berries
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 100 ml red wine
• 250 ml game stock
• 150 ml Heavy Cream
• 1 tbsp lingonberries (jarred)
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 2 slices white bread
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp sour cream

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the venison, pat dry and slice into strips. Clean the mushrooms and cut into pieces or slices. Brown the meat in a pot with 2 tbsp hot oil for a short time, then remove. Do the same with the mushrooms in another 2 tbsp of hot oil, then set aside. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery root; sauté them in the remaining oil until lightly browned. Add the bay leaf, juniper berries, and peppercorns, deglaze with red wine, game stock, and about 400 ml water. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve, stir in the cream, and adjust consistency with a little more liquid or by reducing further. Return the mushrooms and meat to the soup and let them simmer gently on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the lingonberries and season with salt and pepper.

2. 2.

   Drain the white bread and cut into small cubes. Fry in hot butter until golden brown, then drain on paper towels.

3. 3.

   Serve the soup topped with a dollop of sour cream and the croutons.