Mixed Mushroom Soup

My Mum is famous in our family for her amazing soups.  She makes two that are my world-favourite soups: a roasted veggie soup with about a million cloves of garlic, and a mixed mushroom soup!

I could eat her mushroom soup twice a day for the rest of my life, and when I finally pestered her for the recipe, I found out it was a Lucy Waverman recipe from an old issue of Food & Drink (the free magazine we get from our liquor store!)

I thought the recipe had to be super-complicated because it tastes so good, but as so many delicious things are, simpler is better here.  Just use a variety of mushrooms and a stock you like, and you’ll have something delicious.

I used a combination of fresh shitake, oyster, and cremini mushrooms:

Along with some dried chanterelles (the orange ones!) and morels (the morels were a Christmas prezzie!) that I soaked:

A quick stint in the pot, a little bit of flavouring, and voila – homey and soul-warming delicious soup!

Mixed Mushroom Soup

Inspired by Lucy Waverman‘s Essence of Mushroom Soup (Food & Drink, Winter 2001), Serves 4

• 1/2 c. dried mushrooms (I love chanterelles and morels)
• 1 c. hot water
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lb (750 g) mixed mushrooms, chopped (I used oyster, shitake, and cremini)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh savoury, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. dried dulse seaweed, broken into small pieces
• 4 c. vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. tamari
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt & pepper, to taste
• garnish: ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

Soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water for 30 minutes. Strain, keeping both the mushrooms and soaking liquid for later.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften.  Turn the heat to medium, add the mushrooms, and saute for 3 minutes more.

Add the savoury, dulse, vegetable stock, and reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and combine.  Turn the heat up to high and bring the pot to a boil.  Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are completely tender.

Season with tamari and lemon juice, then see if you need to add salt and pepper (you may not need any depending on your stock).

Blitz your soup using a blender or immersion blender.  Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes more to combine all of the flavours.  Feel free to add a little more water or stock if the soup is too thick for you.

Garnish with chives and enjoy!