Shaggy Mane Mushroom Soup

Sheldon Marion

Shaggy Manes, coprinus comatus, ink cap, lawyers wig or whatever other weird and crazy names they are called, are one of the easiest wild mushrooms to identify in the woods and simply put, they are delicious!  

Identification: 

Shaggy Manes grow in high traffic areas. Bike trails, ditches, soccer fields, parks, boat ramps etc; but I have the best luck finding them growing on the sides of gravel roads pushing up through the gravel and dirt. The typical size of a Shaggy Mane is 3 to 4 inches but can grow much larger; up to 8 inches. They can grow by themselves or, at times, grow in clusters.  

Shaggy Manes are a long, white, cylindrical shaped mushroom with small little white wings growing off the caps. The caps connect to the stem at the base of the mushroom right close to the ground. They get their name ink cap from the black ink that they develop when they are past their prime and start to decompose.  

If you are unaware of a wild mushroom, please do not consume it. It could lead to sickness and in extreme cases, death. Always refer to mushroom identification books or a mushroom expert.   

Harvesting: 

Using a knife, cut under the cap as low to the ground as possible. Be careful not to damage the root and only take what you need. Ideally, you want to store the mushrooms in a paper bag, but a plastic bag will do just fine to get them home. 

*If the base of the cap is purple, starting to separate from the stem or has turned black, you can not eat it and it’ll make a mess of your hands. They are past their prime and should be left for the squirrels to eat.  

**Shaggy Manes should be cooked the same day you pick them. If they are not cooked, they will start to decompose, turning black and starting to ink. It will make a nasty, runny, black mess and possibly stain some carpet (don’t ask how I know this).  

Ingredients:  

• Roughly 20 Shaggy Manes 

• 1 Whole White Onion 

• 8 Cloves of Garlic 

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

• 2 Tablespoons Butter 

• 3 Cups of Heavy Cream 

• 2 Cups of Milk 

• Salt to Taste 

• Pepper to Taste 

Preparing The Ingredients: 

1. Wash the mushrooms and remove all the dirt.  

1. Cut the mushrooms in half length ways then slice width ways, roughly ¼” to ½” wide slices.   

1. Dice up the whole onion.  

1. Cut the cloves of garlic in half, then thinly slice.  

Lets Get to Cooking! 

1. Pre heat your soup pot at a medium heat. Once as its up to temperature, add your oil.  

2. Add onions and garlic. Give them a stir to get them coated in the oil so they don’t burn.  

3. Let the onions and garlic brown up, being careful not to burn them.  

4. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir them up so they can get a coat of the oil as well.  

5. Let the mushrooms slowly cook in the pot. They have a lot of moisture in them so it takes some time. Once as there seems to be a lot of water coming out of the mushrooms, stir them every couple of minutes till the mushrooms start to brown and all of the moisture is gone.  

6. Add salt and pepper. Mix.  

7. Add cream and milk. Mix then taste the soup and add Salt and Pepper to your desired taste.  

8. Let it slowly come up to a boil and thicken up. The soup will reduce and get thicker the longer you cook it.  

9. Pour the soup into a bowl and ENJOY!  

Don’t forget that you can always add one of Non-Typical Nations many spices and seasonings to the soup to add that little extra flavor!  

If you want to watch how I harvest the mushrooms and cook it up, head over to the Buick Outdoors YouTube page.