Mushroom Soup
Serves 4
Finding a store-bought, creamy, mushroom soup that is not full of crazy ingredients is hard to come by. Trying to find a vegan version is pretty much impossible. Even if you do, it’s likely full of salt, preservatives additives, and colorants. Well not anymore! This mushroom soup is quite honestly the best mushroom soup I’ve ever made, and it is easy to turn into vegan soup. I’m sure you will enjoy this soup as much as we do. This is a recipe that you can let you kids make with little to no supervision. All the ingredients can be found at your local farmers market or your local food store. In minutes, you’ll have a delicious soup that your family has had fun making together.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
1 small onions, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 cups Portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 cup dry sherry or white wine
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth or Vegan Stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
How to make:
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat until shimmering. Add leeks, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes.
Add the portobello mushrooms and 1 cup of the shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the sherry or white wine. Cook, alternating between stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the soup is thick and syrupy, about 1 minute.
Add soy sauce and miso. Stir to incorporate. Add the vegetable broth, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring the soup to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the shiitake chips. Combine remaining sliced shiitake mushrooms with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet. Heat over medium low heat and cook, turning the mushrooms and stirring frequently. The mushrooms will crisp and brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chips to a paper towel-lined plate. Season immediately, if needed. Allow to cool slightly.
Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs and transfer the soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crispy shiitake mushrooms, green onions, pistachio nuts, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.