The weather is playing tricks on us. It is cold, rainy and freezing one day and the next it is blazing hot and humid. I wish the rainy weather is here to stay so I can snuggle in bed all day and drink soup without sweat dripping into my eyes.
Just recently, I was invited to a friend’s house warming party. Her house was so beautiful ly and cleverly designed and as per Singapore’s custom, she ordered some finger food for dinner. I had some of the creamy mushroom soup which the guests were raving about. It was thick, creamy and fragrant with truffle oil. Absolutely delicious!
The trouble came after I left her place and I felt my stomach churning and feeling very bloated and unwell. I soon realised that it must have been the mushroom soup. Most mushroom soup uses cream and dairy to thicken the soup and in my greediness I didn’t stop to think about my poor lactose intolerant stomach.
But that episode also made me want to create a creamy and delicious mushroom soup that is suitable for those who are lactose intolerant. I use less water and more mushrooms to thicken the soup naturally. Instead of flour, I added a tablespoon of instant oats to create a creamy texture. As I am writing this, I think chia seeds might work even better. Let me know if you decide to be adventurous and use chia seeds instead!
My mom have these beautiful dried shitake mushrooms sitting in the fridge and one whiff of them and I knew I have to use them in my mushroom soup. You can get good quality dried mushrooms in your chinese medicinal shops or chinese supermarkets. These dried mushrooms add so much flavour and umami in the soup. It is my cheat guide to making mushroom stock, simply use the water these mushrooms are soaked in! Tada! No boiling or chopping required. You can choose to sieve the water before using but lazy me skipped that step.
I like my soup with some bite. So just before blending the soup, I will scoop out a few big meaty chunks of mushrooms into serving bowls. A mix of button and shitake mushrooms adds great texture.
Remember Good old Campbell Mushroom Soup? I use to spoon around for all the small mushroom bits and eat them before drinking the soup itself! My mom will nag at me because she thought I was playing with my food.
This creamy mushroom soup also freezes very well and is the ultimate comfort food for those rainy nights or when you come home too tired to cook. I also like to add red pepper flakes to them for a spicy kick!
Recipe: Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup (Vegan)
Makes 3 large servings
- 400 grams Button mushrooms, chopped
- 100 grams dried mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 liter plain water, seperated
- 1 bay leave
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon instant oats
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Directions:
- Wash dried mushrooms and soak them in 250 ml (1 cup) of water for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Squeeze water out from mushrooms and slice them. Set soaking water aside, do not discard.
- Heat olive oil in a pot and stir-fry onions and garlic till slightly brown.
- Add the button and dried mushrooms and stir-fry for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the soaked mushroom water and remaining 850 ml of water into the pot.
- Add bay leave, dried rosemary, soy sauce, oats and sesame oil into the pot. Stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Let the soup cool slightly, remove bay leave and blend the soup either using a immersion blender or pour it into a blender.
Viola!
I serve it here with a simple baked salmon steak and some juicy tomatoes!
Thank you so much for reading!
(c) GEMHL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Breakfast and Salads 