Marvellous Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is probably my favourite of all soups.  Its my goto comfort food

It may sound very strange to you, but I don’t think anything warms a house with savoury, hunger-making aromas more than roasting garlic and onions. Okay, I'll concede that baking a cake smells pretty amazing too, but it’s not the same and generally not quite as healthy!

But this soup is healthful? It uses a healthy pureed white bean and stock base instead of cream, this White Bean and Roasted Mushroom Soup recipe can be enjoyed often as you would like, guilt-free. That’s most definitely my favourite kind of recipe.

In addition to stock, the pureed base includes the roasted onions, garlic and herbs, which is very much a good thing. Oh so fragrant! The process is not complicated at all, so don’t be concerned and think that this recipe is something that you can’t pull off. This homemade soup recipe is simple stuff, y’all. I promise. And it’s so very worth it. I promise that too.

I like to soak and cook my own beans. It’s healthier, cheaper and tastier. Soak beans overnight in water, and drain. Then cover them with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and let the beans simmer till done – about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Then drain. I know this sounds like a long time, but you don’t have to baby sit the beans, they pretty much take care of themselves. You can cook any kind of bean this way and save it in the fridge for several days to use in soups, salads, chilli etc.  However if you don't have time to soak your own beans don't fret - a good quality pre-cooked tin or packet will more than suffice.

WHITE BEAN AND ROASTED MUSHROOM SOUP
A satisfying soup, that uses a healthy pureed white bean and stock base instead of cream, so it can be enjoyed often, guilt-free.
Author: Emma Olliff  | Emma Olliff Nutrition
Serves: Makes about 8 servings.
 
INGREDIENTS

• 500g mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 2 large sweet onions, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt, divided
• 1½ teaspoon pepper, divided
• 4-8 fresh sage leaves*
• 4-8 stems + 1 tablespoon leaves fresh thyme*, divided
• 750ml chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted for a vegetarian version - or for an even more restorative version use bone broth)
• 250g uncooked white beans, not drained (I prefer cannellini or butter beans) or 400g pre-cooked beans
• Additional salt and pepper for seasoning

 
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Toss mushrooms, garlic and onion in olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (You may want to keep mushrooms separate on baking sheet for roasting, because you'll have to separate later. So, separate now, or later.) Spread on baking sheet. Add sage leaves and stems of thyme. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, toss and roast for additional 15 minutes.
3. While vegetables are roasting, add stock, beans, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves to a large stock pot over medium heat and simmer.
4. When vegetables are done roasting, let cool slightly. Separate mushrooms from other roasted vegetables (if not already separated).
5. Retrieve the white beans, and 100ml of broth from the stock pot, add to a blender along with the roasted onions, garlic and herbs. Cover and blend until smooth.
6. Add pureed bean mixture back to stock pot, whisking in until smooth. Add roasted mushrooms to soup. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Warm over low heat until ready to serve.

 
NOTES
*Dried herbs may be substituted for fresh. The rule of thumb is one part dried, to three parts fresh.

​Emma xx