I am pretty sure that if the entire world were to taste this soup all at the same time, we would have peace across the land. It is THAT unbelievably, amazingly, wonderously delicious and super-powered. Super Powered I tell you and not a word of a lie.
My version of the soup was inspired by the perfect version of the soup that Elana made up for me when she had me to dinner a few weeks ago. I’ll admit that it is rare that I get invited to people’s homes for dinner. I am not an easy one to feed. I knew, though, that Elana would be the last person to ever serve food that could be deemed “shwa shwa”, her terminology for crap.
This four mushroom soup with a kicker of burdock root, might be one of the most amazing adventures I have had yet in cooking. I am new to the world of ‘shrooms. I left nutrition school thinking they were a danky fungus, that grew on garbage in the dark and it wasn’t until I visited Brother Matthew and Christina’s organic mushroom farm in Dominica that I was convinced that good quality, organic mushrooms may actually be the secret to world peace.
Now, in 500 words, there is no way I can get into the amazing properties of these healthful fungi. Josh, has recently become slightly obsessed with mushrooms and I’ll admit, since my time in the woods David Wolfe, chaga mushrooms have found their way into my breakfast smoothies and super-powered oatmeal. I had yet to make a soup dedicated to these wonderous little creatures.
They each have their own individual healing benefits and can easily be found at your local organic grocer, asian market or even dried, in packets at the health food store. Try your own variety.
I like the shitakes the best, especially this time of year as they help invigorate the immune system with their active compound called lentinan. One of lentinan’s healing benefits is the ability to power up the immune system, strengthening its powers to fight infection and disease. Chaga (often found in herb stores) contains beta glucans which are powerful immune boosters that work by stimulating the body’s ability to set up cellular defenses- like Fort Knox for your cells!
Maitake mushrooms are known for their cancer-fighting properties. They contain grifolan, an important beta-glucan that activates macrophages, the cells considered the ” heavy artillery” of the immune system, that eat up the crap we let creep in. Reishi mushroom is also a great one, but alas, I didn’t have any. See! Improvisation work a-okay!
World Peace Mushroom Soup
(note that quantities are approximate- use what you feel is right)
6 small shallots, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 celery root, peeled and sliced into cubes
1 heaping handful of napa cabbage, sliced
1/2 zucchini, quartered and cut in chucks
2-3 cups organic king oyster mushrooms, sliced
2-3 cups organic shitake mushrooms, sliced (or 1//2 – 1 cup dried)
1/2 cup dried maitake mushrooms
2 Tbs chaga mushroom, ground
4 inches burdock root, peeled and chopped (or 2 Tbs dried and ground)
6-8 cups of water
1 1/2 Tbs caraway seeds, ground
2 tsp Thyme
2 Tbs tamari
1 handful arame (or dapple of seaweed of choice)
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup miso paste
parsley to garnish
sea salt to taste
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot and lightly saute all veggies and mushrooms in the oil.
- Add water to cover veggies
- Stir in chaga, caraway, thyme, tamari and arame.
- Bring to a rapid boil and them reduce to simmer for 1-3 hours
- Allow to cool slightly
- Add miso paste to the blender and run soup through blender until smooth (or mostly smooth). I like my Vita Mix but a hand held blender, food processor or regular blender should do the trick.
- Add tamari and/or sea salt to taste (I didn’t need to add anything to mine- tasted world peace like just as it was).
- Add parsley and drizzle with tamari to garnish before serving.
I had no idea mushrooms were such little superheroes!!
This soup is going on my to-do list. While it might be challenging to get everyone in the world eating it simultaneously, I know it will help with peace in our house! (Joey LOVES mushrooms!)
Sounds great Meghan! I like mushrooms, but sometimes I get barfy from them (prob. because I was really sick one time and ate some and… I’ll let your imagination figure that one out!). Haha!
This might be the only way I’ll get past my mycophobia… it’s that rubbery texture of mushies that makes me ill, so if they’re blended up in soup form, there might be some hope. But mushrooms in oatmeal first thing in the morning? Don’t think I’ll ever be able to handle that.
I love mushrooms. And I think shitakes are my favorite as well… although, I pretty much like every kind. Glad to know they’re good for you and they’re not just fungus!
Question where can I find:
- burdock root
- arame
- miso paste
And can all the mushrooms be found at the St. Lawrence market? I am planning on going there this weekend.
I definitely need to make this soon–given my love of mushrooms and my determination to not get sick this winter (I’ve already given up coffee and almost all alcohol). The flavors sound wonderful, and although I’ll need to do some hunting to come up with some of the ingredients, it’ll be worth it!
Amazing. This s*@t is going down on Friday.
Sounds like a great soup. I’ll have to see what mushrooms Forbes Wild Foods has at the farmer’s market the next time I’m there.
I can just imagine that this soup must taste out of this world! We love mushrooms and I bet it’s real rich tasting. I have never thought of a blended mushroom soup.
This soup sounds amazing! But unfortunately ever since I had kids I get nauseous just smelling a mushroom! boo hoo.
Mushrooms, especially the Chinese ones you mention, have so many amazing health benefits. I take them in a tincture called 5 Mushroom Formula, and I actually really like the taste of the tincture. I used to take Beta-Glucan which is incredible for the immune system, but it’s part of the mushrooms and I think it’s better to get it in a food source.
Yum. Looks delicious!
I love mushrooms in all shapes and forms, I especially like the taste and texture of king oyster mushrooms.
Holy yum.
I’m making mushroom soup tonight. I.e. NOW.
Ok, my mushroom soup was not a good reproduction of this recipe, but definitely inspired by it.
Yummm.
Must buy burdock to check it out!
They’re dried and I just grind them up with the rest of the ‘mulch’ as josh calls it- flax, maca, cacao etc.
All at a health food store
Rich in flavour and life!
I have the wisest readers in the whole wide world! Love the mushroom tincture idea.