Vegan Mushroom Soup
Preparation time: 45mins // Serves 4-6
|| note: the mushrooms you use here is really up to your taste and availability, any combination would work well but the shiitake give a real rich flavour use fresh or dried, depending on what’s available ||
- 40g (1½ oz) dried shiitake mushrooms
- 400g (14 oz) button mushrooms, roughly diced*
- 150g (5 oz) flat or swiss brown mushrooms, roughly diced*
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 2 leeks, washed and roughly diced
- 1 celery stick (including leafy top), roughly diced
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 lt vegetable stock
- ¼ cup basmati rice
- 2 tbs soy sauce or tamari
- 1½ cups non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
to serve
- extra fresh thyme
- roughly chopped dry roasted almonds
Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl with enough hot water to cover, allow to soak for 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms reserving approximately 1 cup of the liquid. Roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a good sized pot, add the garlic, leeks and celery and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until soft.
Add the mushroom, including the shiitake and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes tossing well.
Add the reserved shiitake liquid and the sprigs of thyme. Turn down the heat and placing a lid on the pot allow the mushrooms to gently cook for 10 minutes tossing the pan occasionally.
Add the rice and stock and bring to a gentle simmer, cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until rice is tender.
Using a stick blender or in batches in a food processor blend the soup until thick and creamy. Over a gentle heat stir in the rice milk and heat through continuing to stir for a few minutes until hot.
Serve the soup in warm bowls topped with a little extra fresh thyme and the chopped almonds.
A wonderful vegetarian mushroom soup that is perfectly robust in flavor and texture, enjoy!!

{this mushroom soup recipe was adapted from one found in The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables & Vegetarian Cooking by Roz Denny & Christine Ingram}