Cashew Cream of Medicinal Mushroom Soup

I'm going to get this out in the open now: I have a mushroom addiction.

This is one of my favourite soups, and it's so simple and easy to make while being loaded with immune boosting nutrients. It's one of those favourites that I remember as a kid, but don't want to eat the canned version as an adult because of the dairy and chemicals. 

All the ingredients are made with whole foods, and all the main ingredients are local to the pacific northwest. Last week I picked up the garlic from a roadside stand as I was driving through the country, and I get the mushrooms from trusted local harvesters or Harmonic Arts.

 
 

This soup is a warm-you-from-the-inside-out-and-make-you-feel-grounded type of soup.

The texture is just like the traditional dairy version - thick enough to stay on your spoon but not too thick. The bites of shiitakes have that smoky flavour and make you feel like you're eating dinner, not drinking it.

I've used chaga, reishi and shiitake in this mix, and feel free to experiment with other mushrooms as well. What I love about these varieties is they have been well researched and have strong immune boosting qualities so that this food can not only be creamy and delicious but also health promoting. 

dairy free, gluten free, soy free and sugar free

This soup is great to try if:

  • you don't eat dairy but don't want to miss out on those foods that traditionally include dairy
  • you're feeling run down or getting sick
  • you're stressed and overwhelmed
  • you want to support your immune system
 
 

ingredients & Directions

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

  • 6 cups Medicinal Mushroom Broth
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 175 grams shiitake mushrooms (about 4 cups) stemmed and chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic scape or 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • sea salt & pepper, to taste

Medicinal Mushroom Broth

  • 0.2 oz dried reishi (about 7-8 pieces) 
  • 0.4 oz dried chaga (2 large pieces) 
  • 10 cups of water
 
  1. Soak cashews for 4 hours, or overnight.
  2. To make the Medicinal Mushroom Broth, put all the ingredients in a large pot and simmer, covered, for 40min. Strain out the mushrooms and reserve in water for your next batch.
  3. Drain the cashews and put them in a blender with 6 cups of the broth and blend until smooth. 
  4. Heat a frying pan to medium-low with oil, and sauté the chopped shallots and garlic scape for 4 min. 
  5. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, thyme and pepper. Sauté for 7-10 minutes, or until tender. Reserve a couple of teaspoons for garnish.
  6. Add the creamy cashew broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Stir often and reduce for approximately 30-45 minutes or until desired consistency. 
  7. Scoop out approximately 1/2 of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, then add back into the pot, stir, and serve.

 

Enjoy!

Kristin PriceEntree, Wild FoodsComment