Tomato Mushroom Soup

A blended tomato soup finished with roasted yellow potatoes, mixed mushrooms and fresh herbs, drizzled with cream — inspired by Tales from Earthsea.

Ingredients

7 ounces (198 g)		Small yellow potatoes
2 tablespoons	30 ml	Olive oil, divided
To taste		Salt and pepper
½		Large red onion, sliced
¼ cup (20 g)		Sliced leek
4 cloves		Garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces / 794 g)		Whole peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon	2.5 ml	Cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon	7.5 ml	Sugar
5½ ounces (155 g)		Mixed mushrooms (shiitake, button, oyster, and shimeji), trimmed as necessary
1½ cups (360 ml)		Vegetable stock
4 sprigs		Fresh parsley, plus more chopped for garnishing
3 sprigs		Fresh dill, plus more chopped for garnishing
To taste		Heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk), for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C; gas mark 8). Scatter the small yellow potatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Shake the pan until all the potatoes are seasoned and oiled. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the potatoes halfway through the baking time.
Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, cayenne, sugar, and salt and pepper. Stir together. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Carefully transfer the hot contents of the pot (or let cool first) to a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender, and blend until smooth. Strain the liquid back into the pot through a fine-mesh strainer.
Add the roasted potatoes, mushrooms, vegetable stock, parsley, and dill to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the herb sprigs.
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with heavy cream, and garnish with chopped parsley and dill.