Mustard Soup

 Mustard Soup is one of those foods that sounds iffy, but is great and glorious. It relies heavily on which mustard you use for the final flavor, which is part of the reason that every town in the Netherlands has variations on this recipe- every town has it's own beloved mustard. 

Here, Spouse requests mustard soup by coming home with a new and interesting mustard and leaving it conspicuously next to the stove. I generally end up mixing half of one smooth mustard and one cracked or whole grain mustard for the texture. This is also good with a handful of bacon crumbles or cooked barley mixed in, or as a sauce over pork chops. 

The basic recipe isn't actually complex, just a little finicky because you have to temper an egg. I make mine gf by using rice flour.

Mustard Soup (serves 3-6, depending.)

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 stick of butter

2 c chicken or veg stock

2 c milk or half and half

4 Tbsp mustard

2 eggs

Over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the flour to make a roux. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring up to a low simmer.

In a separate container, mix the mustard and eggs, until the eggs are well beaten and incorporated. Slowly temper the eggs by adding the hot liquid to them, whisking constantly. When they are warm, add back to the main pot. This takes about half the stock. 

Remove from heat & add the dairy. Taste. It may need more mustard.