Creamy Mushroom Soup with no Cream



A drizzle of olive oil, a reserved sautéed mushroom, and a sprig of
fresh thyme make for a lovely presentation.

I can't rave enough about the My New Roots cookbook written by Sara Britton.  Plant-based recipes are beautifully photographed and easy to follow.  Sara has been writing a blog for some time and if you prefer vegan (mostly) foods, her inventions are divine.

This mushroom soup is an adaptation of the Oyster Mushroom Bisque featured in the cookbook.  I swapped out the oyster mushrooms for regular mushrooms and otherwise improvised where needed.  My sons and husband loved this.  Not a drop remained in their bowls.

The key to creaminess is the use of pureed white beans.  What a concept!  Pureed beans can be used in other recipes to add protein and fiber with none of regular cream's calories.  I will be making this for company because it is that good.

Serves 4 - 6
Prep and cook time:  45 minutes

3/4 lb. white mushrooms, wiped clean
1 Tblsp. coconut oil
3 medium onions, chopped
2 large leeks, sliced, tough dark green tops discarded
Fine sea salt
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus additional sprigs for garnish
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 quart vegetable broth
1 can white beans (navy, cannellini, Great Northern, butter), drained
Freshly ground black pepper
Cold-pressed olive oil, for drizzling

Make sure to remove any grit out of the leeks.

Chop mushrooms, leaving several slices for garnish.  Heat coconut oil in a large pot and cook the onions, leeks, salt, and thyme for about 5 minutes or until the onions and leeks are soft.  Add garlic to pot and stir.

This smells heavenly!

Sprinkle the lemon juice into the pot and stir to loosen any browned bits.  Stir in the mushrooms and cook on medium heat until mushrooms are soft, about 7 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, whir the vegetable broth and beans in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.

Once the mushrooms are cooked, remove your garnish mushrooms and set aside.  Add the bean/vegetable broth mixture to the vegetables in the pot and stir well.  Simmer for at least 5 minutes.

My reserved garnish.

Spoon the soup mixture into the blender.  Blend on high speed until completely smooth.  Add more broth or water if you think the mix is too thick.  Season soup with a generous dose of black pepper and more sea salt if necessary.  Mix again.  Pour the soup into bowls and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over, then top with reserved mushroom(s) and a sprig of fresh thyme.

Each serving (1/6 recipe) offers 200 calories, over 5 g fiber, 9 g protein, 5 g fat, lots of B vitamins, and almost half your daily requirement for copper, iron, and manganese.  Copper helps maintain the health of your bones and connective tissues, helps keep your thyroid gland functioning normally, helps utilize iron, helps preserve nerve's myelin sheath, and protects cells against damage by free radicals. 

My measure for a successful recipe.

- Kim Fielding