Goedemiddag Nederlands - Mustard Soup

Oh boy did we have fun in Amsterdam at the weekend.  The sight of 8 middle-aged men and women on a guided cycling tour was hilarious, especially when Hubby was caught in the tram lines!  We survived and I tried this incredible traditional Dutch soup at lunchtime on Sunday.  It is quite feisty but really warming.  The version I tried had smoked salmon added at the end of cooking but  I thought I'd try this version with bacon as well.

Ingredients for 4

Bacon lardons 150 g

1 medium-sized shallot, finely chopped

3 1/2 tbsp butter 50g

1 tbsp grainy Groninger mustard (or other grainy mustard)

1 tbsp smooth Groninger mustard (or other smooth mustard)

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

Plain flour 50g

Chicken stock 1 litre

Cream or crème fraîche 100 ml

Salt & pepper to taste. 

Method

Fry the bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Allow to drain on kitchen paper. In a separate pot, sauté the shallot in the butter. Add mustard and mustard seed. Now add the flour and slowly pour in the stock to create a roux. Once the roux is well mixed and smooth add the remaining stock. Allow to cook for a minute or two. Now add the cream. Season and taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the crispy bacon bits and freshly chopped chives, cress or sautéed leeks.

Enjoy!