# 1 Dutch mustard soup - Mosterdsoep

I start my culinary journey from my home country, the Netherlands. Even though the Dutch cuisine doesn't have a great reputation, I think some of our dishes such as this

 "Mosterdsoep" are underappreciated. To outsiders it must seem strange to make a soup around a condiment, but trust me it is delicious! This is mustard at its best, and I'm convinced

this soup can even convey mustard haters.

It's a creamy soup with a mild flavour, not sharp as you might expect. The recipe is simple, easy, and cheap (which comes in great for an unemployed lady like myself). 

The soup is made with a traditional dutch mustard called "zaanse mosterd". This is somewhere in between a wholegrane and a dijon, probably similar to a stone ground mustard. If you can't find a stone ground mustard you can mix a spoon of  wholegrane with a spoon of dijon mustard.

I adapted this recipe from Abrahams Mustards factory where they still grind traditional mustard in a windmill.

Mosterdsoep

3 tablespoons butter
6 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 cups (1 liter) stock (chicken or vegetable)
2 tablespoons of mustard (zaanse mosterd)
1/2 cup Cream

1 Leek 

 Optional: Bacon & white wine & chervil
 



You start of by making a Roux, to do this you melt the butter on a medium heat. After the butter has melted add the flour and keep on stirring. Leave this on the heat and keep on stirring for 2 minutes.

Slowly start adding the stock. When you do this the consistency of  your flour/butter mixture will change into a more dough like structure. Keep on stirring until the mixture has absorbed all the moisture before you add more stock

Keep on adding and stirring this until you've added all the stock.


[I also added a tiny splash of white wine (1/4 cup), for that extra touch, but that's not part of the traditional recipe]

Add the mustard. If it is still lumpy like on this picture, keep on stirring untill the soup is smooth.

Chop the leek very fine

Add the cream, bring the soup to a boil then turn off the heat and add the leek.

Et voila! Serve your soup, you can garnish with some leek on top or chervil. If you like you can also add some finely diced fried bacon (spekjes) at this point.

As with any soup, it is way better the next day, so try to save some for lunch tomorrow!

Eet Smakelijk!




Preparation time 20 min - Serves 4