Shiitake Mushrooms!

Did you know that shiitake mushrooms could help improve your health? I have always loved mushrooms, so this was a great bit of information to find out! When my son was diagnosed with Crohn’s I had to rethink his diet completely. I started researching as much as I could and was pretty excited to find that mushrooms were such a great source of healing.

Cooked shiitake mushrooms can actually help improve your immune function. A daily 4 ounce serving of these vitamin-packed mushrooms fights inflammation and improves gut function. They are also high in vitamin B and D, have been known to aid in weight loss, support cardiovascular health, fight cancer cells, improve energy levels and brain function. How about some mushroom soup? Here is a great recipe you should try.

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons (½ stick) grass-fed butter

1 small onion, quartered

1-pound organic shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock

2 sprigs parsley

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

2 Tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch

3 Tablespoons water

Salt and ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

• Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the broth, parsley, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree. Return to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, combine the starch with the water and stir until dissolved.
• Whisk the starch mixture into the soup. Cook the soup until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in the cream.

**If you like to have mushroom chunks in your soup (like I do), you can set aside some of the sautéed mushrooms and then add them back in at the end. You can garnish your soup with a sprig of parsley for some flair and plating appeal. 🙂

 

I hope you enjoy your soup!

 

There is a really fun and unique salad recipe that I’ll post next. I actually just stumbled upon this “salad” the other day and it was so good that I have to share. Stay tuned!