French wild mushroom velouté | Silky and fragrant soup

Finely chop the shallots and garlic. Clean the wild mushrooms and brown button mushrooms, then cut them into even slices. Set aside a handful of nice mushroom slices for serving later.

Heat half of the olive oil and half of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chopped shallots and sauté over medium heat until translucent for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic for another minute.

Add the sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme sprigs to the pot. Sauté over higher heat for 6-8 minutes until the mushrooms cook down and take on a beautiful golden brown color, releasing their deep, earthy aroma.