Oregon Vegan Mushroom Soup

This recipe is from my latest cookbook, Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World.

Oregon is a fabulous place to forage for mushrooms. There, varieties such as chanterelles, hedgehog, matsutake, lobster, morel, black truffle, white truffle, and milky cap grow under Douglas fir, pine, oak, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, aspen, willow, and birch trees. If you can get your hands on any of these exotic mushrooms, especially morels and/or chanterelles, use them in this soup. Vegetable broth and the secret ingredient rolled oats—not steel-cut or instant—blend together to create vegan creaminess in this light, healthy soup that’s low in calories and fat, yet packed with flavor and nutrients. White miso paste, if using, adds umami depth. You can purchase it online or in Asian sections of your local market.

Benefits

Every ingredient in this recipe lends itself to health. Mushrooms are packed with immune-boosting compounds called beta-glucans and are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. The selenium in mushrooms supports detoxification in the body. Miso paste helps fortify the immune system.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbs. grapeseed or coconut oil
1 lb. mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake, Portobello, baby bella, or more exotic varieties), sliced
2 cups roughly chopped yellow onion
1½ tsp. minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
⅔ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ tsp. Himalayan salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. white miso paste (optional)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, as garnish

Procedure
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic and sauté for 3–4 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

3. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 4–5 minutes or until the mushrooms release their liquid.
4. Add the vegetable stock and oats. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender in the pot. Puree, adding salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the miso paste (if using) when the soup is no longer boiling hot, as boiling can destroy miso’s probiotics.
7. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot.

(Gluten-Free if using gluten-free miso, Vegan/Vegetarian)