I love organic mushrooms. They are one of my must-haves on every weekly shopping list. I like different types but especially chestnut mushrooms. I like the firm, ‘meaty’ texture. This week we had a glut, 2 weeks’ worth, as I’d been doing a juice cleanse and we forgot to cancel them. Most of them were little button mushrooms.
I really fancied some soup yesterday and thought I would try using some of them. I swithered about whether or not to use coconut milk and make a creamed soup, but really I just wanted it plain and simple, the milk felt too rich for my stomach. So here’s what I came up with. It’s not for the purists – the real chefs – I’m sure, but I loved it.
It’s quick and easy with only 2 ingredients apart from the oil and the seasoning. The only thing that may need adjusting is the salt levels: there is salt in the celery, tamari, stock cube and miso. We used 1 Tbsp of Miso but I’ve reduced it to a teaspoon in the recipe. I’m not even sure it needs it at all, I added it for the nutrients as much as for the flavour.
Miso paste is made from fermented soya beans and is a good source of probiotics (to keep the gut healthy), Vitamin K for bone health, copper, manganese and zinc as well as dietary fibre.
Chestnut Mushrooms are high in copper and vitamin B5 and are a source of B2, B3 and folate as well as potassium and selenium.
Celery is also an excellent source of vitamin K, and is a very good source of folate, potassium, dietary fibre, manganese and B5. It’s also a good source of vitamin B2, B6, copper, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin A.
So all in all, this soup is very good for you (adjust the sodium if you need to keep it low).
Serves 2.
All ingredients organic, vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
1 Tsp Coconut Oil
Approx. 350g/13oz Chestnut Mushrooms, washed and skin left on
1 Celery Stalk, scrubbed
Tamari
Mushroom Stock Cube + approx. 450-500mls Hot Water
2 Tsps Cornflour + a drop of Cold Water to mix
1 Tsp Miso Paste + a drop of the soup to mix
Black Pepper
Method
Chop the celery finely and most of the mushrooms roughly, reserving a few small whole ones for garnish.
Dissolve the stock cube in the water.
Melt the oil till hot but not smoking.
Place all the celery and mushrooms in the oil, a little at a time, stirring to keep them moving.
Add a couple of splashes of tamari and a few twists of black pepper.
Stir again.
Place the lid on and leave to cook on a low heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the whole button mushrooms and leave them aside.
Add the stock, stir, replace the lid and cook for about 35-40 minutes, making sure the celery is cooked. Stir a couple of times. Don’t boil it, just let it cook gently.
Add a little cold water to the cornflour and stir until smooth, add a spoon of soup to the mix then add it into the pan and stir on the heat until the soup is slightly thickened.
Add the miso paste then blend with a stick blender.
Add more black pepper if required.
Serve with a few button mushrooms on top.
Copyright: Chris McGowan
This was born on a very chilly, wet and windy July day a few days after I had finished a 7 day juice challenge. I had been having salads since, and this was my first fully cooked meal. I wanted something light but warming – it didn’t feel at all like summer – but we had a lot of summer vegetables and fruit so we decided to combine a little of both with some filling and nourishing basmati rice and served with large chestnut mushrooms lightly stir-fried with crushed garlic and tamari.
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