Black Garlic Mushroom Soup (vegan)
I recently hosted a cooking class for a friend’s birthday. While I was coming up with the menu, I wanted to make sure everything felt very cozy and seasonal.
I had already decided to make my pumpkin kale salad and spaghetti squash “pasta” with a pepita pesto, so I thought the perfect third dish would be a soup.
Mushrooms and black garlic popped into my head - they seemed like the perfect duo and I thought the black garlic would add the perfect “umami” flavor profile to compliment the “meatiness” of the mushrooms.
The only problem was, we already had a full cheese plate and some cheese in the other dishes, so I wanted to make this recipe vegan…and the only recipes I was finding for mushroom soups included heavy cream. So, I decided to make up my own!
The “creaminess” of this soup comes from the potato, the avocado oil, and the nut milk. I turned out so yummy, I definitely didn’t miss the dairy. And because it’s lighter than most mushroom soups, it makes a great compliment to an otherwise rich meal.
Since I had a hard time finding a vegan mushroom soup recipe I wanted to make sure to share with YOU!
Please feel free to share with your friends :-)
Black Garlic Mushroom Soup
serves: ~6
time: 35 minutes (plus 1 hr. to soak dried mushrooms / make broth, can be made ahead)
INGREDIENTS:
1 oz. dried mushrooms (mushroom medley like porcini, shiitake, crimini)
Fresh or dried thyme
Sea salt + Maldonsalt for garnish
1 yellow onion, diced
1 potato, cut into ½-inch cubes (drop into cold water after cutting to reduce starchiness)
2Tbsp. avocado oil
1½ lbs. fresh mushrooms, assorted (recommend using cremini, portobello)
Handful fresh sage
½-1 cup nut milk of choice (cashew or almond)
4-6 cloves black garlic (can substitute with 4 cloves regular garlic sautéed with mushrooms)
DIRECTIONS:
MUSHROOM BROTH:
To make mushroom broth, use 32 oz. mason jar or container to combine 4 cups boiling water with 1 oz. dried mushrooms, 1 tsp. dried thyme (or several sprigs fresh thyme) and ½ tsp. sea salt. Stir, and let steep at least 1 hr. or up to 24 hrs. Just before cooking, separate mushrooms from broth using fine mesh strainer – chop soaked mushrooms and add to the fresh mushrooms. Place broth in a small saucepan and heat over medium.
SOUP:
In pan over medium heat cook onion, adding potato, and a dash of thyme and sea salt. Add ½ cup water and place lid on pan to steam, removing periodically to stir.
In separate pan, over medium heat add avocado oil, mushrooms, a dash of thyme, and sage. Stir frequently and let mushrooms brown.
Once both mixtures are cooked (about 15 minutes) remove from heat, reserving 1/4 cup of the mushrooms for soup garnish. Place in Vitamixor food processor, adding mushroom broth and black garlic. Begin to purée, slowly adding nut milk until you reach desired thickness. Additional avocado oil can be added for more creamy texture.
Garnish with sautéed mushrooms, drizzle of olive oil, and Maldon salt.
Fun facts about the ingredients in this recipe…
MUSHROOMS
• Medicinal use of mushrooms dates back thousands of years in traditional Asian countries.
• Mushrooms contain high levels of beta-glucancompounds that keep immune cells alert.
• They are rich in the powerful antioxidant ergothioneine, which helps lower body-wide inflammation.
• Mushrooms help increase “natural killer cells” – a type of immune cell responsible for seeking out and killing potentially-dangerous cancerous cells.
• Certain kinds of mushrooms are considered “adaptogens” – which responds to stressors and help balance, restore, and protect the body.
BLACK GARLIC
• Black garlic is aged, fermented garlic – the health benefits are similar to raw garlic, but black garlic contains higher amounts of antioxidants.
• Garlic has been used as a medicinal herb since medieval times as a digestive aid, antibiotic, anti-parasitic, for colds, infections, etc.
• Black garlic is rich in amino acids, and has almost double the amount of antioxidants as regular garlic.
• It is thought that black garlic is more easily absorbed and well-tolerated by the digestive system.
THYME
• Ancient Greeks used thyme for incense – in fact its name originally meant “to fumigate.” It was thought to impart courage and energy.
• Thyme is packed with vitamin C, and vitamin A, making it perfect to load up on during the fall and winter.
• Carvacrol, a property found in thyme, has been shown to have mood-boosting effects, like increasing dopamine and serotonin levels.
• Thyme has been shown to treat bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat, arthritis, upset stomach, diarrhea, and skin disorders.
POTATOES
• Potatoes often get a bad rap, but the truth is they are a great source of complex carbohydrates and provide ample amounts of antioxidants and nutrients. Just make sure you’re buying organic, as root vegetables are grown in the dirt, and therefore are susceptible to absorbing the toxins in the soil. Root vegetables are only as good as the soil in which they are grown.
• Potatoes are high in vitamin C and a good source of several B vitamins and potassium, which is important for building strong bones and supporting heart health.
• Half of a potato’s fiber is found in its skin.
• Also found in its skin are manganese, magnesium, and iron.
References:
PubMed, (November 25, 2011). Recent developentsin mushrooms as anti-cancer therapeutics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22582152
MDPI, (May 24, 2013). Carvacrol: From Ancient Flavoring to NueromodulatoryAgent.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/18/6/6161
PubMed. (June 9, 2010). Cellular antioxidant activity of common vegetables.