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!