01/16

Vegan Mushroom Soup With Farm Girl Beverly Hills

One of my goals for the new year, along with getting more sleep, is to cook more at home. Not only is it less expensive, it’s also healthier. My motto is “if you don’t have it at home—don’t eat it.” In other words, don’t buy junk for your home and you won’t be tempted.
One of the reasons I was so OB-sessed with Dana Slatkin’s (Farm Girl Beverly Hills) cooking class (well, and her in general) was that she’s all about indulging—the healthy way. It’s not about a diet; it’s about saying YES to whole ingredients. If you are eating fresh and organic, counting calories isn’t necessary.

Earlier this week, I shared her yummy Citrus Cinnamon Cake recipe. Today, it’s all about one of my favorite dishes: soup. I eat soup almost every single day especially when I’m focusing on my fiber intake. It’s the perfect light meal packed with vitamins and minerals and low in calories. And, ladies—it’s the absolute perfect meal when you have to put something tight on.

Here’s her delicious recipe for Vegan Mushroom Soup that you must try during these winter months. Never made a mushroom soup before? Dana’s tip for easy preparation is to clean the mushrooms with flour before hand. All you need is a bowl of water and a couple teaspoons of flour—it automatically cleans them! I’ve been making it ahead and having it for the entire week. My babies love it, too!

Vegan Mushroom Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, sliced, white only
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds assorted mushrooms (best are shiitake, white, brown)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
• ½ cup dry white wine (Champagne is good, too)
• 8 cups (2 quarts) chicken, mushroom or vegetable stock (cold)
• 1-cup light coconut milk

Directions:

• Melt the butter and oil in a heavy soup pot over low heat. Add the leek and garlic, and cook gently until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

• Add the mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown in parts. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Deglaze with the wine and cook until nearly dry.
• Pour in the cold stock. Turn up the heat to high.

• Allow the soup to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the flavors have developed. Add the coconut milk and taste for seasoning. Cool slightly.
• Process the soup, in batches, in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

So, what do you do with all the extra vegetables when you don’t want them to go to waste? Dana says keep the scraps and make your own stock! It’s more flavorful and tastes better than store bought. Here’s an easy recipe from Oh My Veggies:

Stock

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 8 cups water
• Frozen vegetable scraps (2-3 cups is a good amount)
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of parsley and thyme

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots.
2. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the water, frozen vegetable scraps, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
5. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large heat-proof bowl or pot; discard solids.
6. Once the broth has cooled, transfer it to airtight plastic containers or freezer bags and store it in the freezer.