Just in time for the cold months ahead, nutrition grad Marybeth Missenda shares her recipe for a warming and hearty soup.
Mushrooms not only help clear out congestion from our respiratory tracts (Pitchford, 2002), but as one of the few natural foods rich in vitamin D and beta-glycan polysaccharides, they also help by bolstering our immune systems as cold and flu season approaches. As if that wasn’t enough reason to each mushrooms, substituting one serving of them for red meat has been shown to enhance weight loss (Poddar et al, 2013). Experiment with different varieties to add a depth of flavor to this comforting fall soup. This recipe is adapted from Myra Kornfeld’s dairy free soups.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 cups freshly made Oxtail stock or vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups assorted mushrooms
- 1 small leek
- 1 red skinned potato
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. Then add the cleaned and roughly cut leek and garlic to the pan and saute and let soften for about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the mushrooms, diced potatoes and the oxtail stock to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 – 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the sauce pan and add the remaining ½ cup of mushrooms and vinegar. Let the soup simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Roasted Corn and Parsley Garnish (Optional)
Ingredients:
- ½ cup corn
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Mix olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and corn in a bowl. Spread the corn mixture on a baking dish and roast in the oven at 400°F until golden brown. Remove the corn from the oven and add the parsley. Spoon some of the roasted corn and parsley over soup and serve.
References:
Pitchford,P. (2002). Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition. Berkley, CA : North Atlantic Books.
Poddar K.H., Ames M., Chen H., et al., (2013) Positive effect of white button mushrooms when substituted for meat on body weight and composition changes during weight loss and weight maintenance – A one-year randomized clinical trial. FASEB J. 27, 852.4.