My dad’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Italy before he was born so I was lucky enough to grow up with the most Aaaamazing Italian dinners. My Nonna would make these massive meals on the holidays and we’d all be full after the first course, which was usually some sort of pasta. I mean, duh, the pasta was always the best part. If we were lucky it was ravioli, and if we were extra lucky it was homemade gnocchi. There is literally nothing better than homemade, fresh, fluffy gnocchi. I’ll have to share that with you soon! But no, this recipe has nothing to do with gnocchi that was just a tangent. Sorry, back to the story. My Nonna also made mushrooms as a side dish all the time. They were garlicky and delectable and we all still lovingly refer to them as “Nonna mushrooms.” They’re so simple and yet have so much flavour, and I think growing up with “Nonna mushrooms” is why I’ve come to love cream of mushroom soup so much! Mmmmmmmmm… Is there anything better than a creamy dreamy mushroom soup when it’s cold out? Unfortunately most cream of anything soups just aren’t very good for you. All that heavy dairy, and often times added white flour to thicken it up. I’m just not into it anymore.
I love this soup because it’s light, yet has such a rich flavour to it. And it’s thickened up by adding beans, which are so healthy! Beans get a bad rep because, um, well, they tend to give you gas. But if cooked properly they really shouldn’t. Dried beans need to be soaked over night and then rinsed again in cold water before cooking. If using canned beans, be sure to use BPA free organic beans!
Ok back to the benefits of beans:
They’re full of fibre and protein-which makes you full and stabilizes your blood sugar for a steady satisfied state. They contain phosphatidyl choline which our cell membranes need to transmit happy hormones. Different types of beans have different health benefits but the white beans used in this recipe are also a good source of magnesium. Some studies have shown magnesium deficiencies in people who have depression. So it can’t hurt to get more magnesium in our diets, right?
Mushrooms are a great source of antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin D, and have been used medicinally as anti-depressants. Neat stuff. They’re also super versatile, really low in calories, and yet make a great meat substitute in just about any dish.
Hungry yet? That was a long one!
| Roasted Mushroom and White Bean Soup | Print |
- 2 Tablespoons Black Truffle Oil-divided*
- 4 Cups shiitake mushrooms-measured and then stems removed
- 3 Portobello mushrooms with stems, sliced
- 1 Medium onion-diced
- 3 Cloves of garlic or 1.5 tsp. crushed garlic from a jar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari sauce for Gluten Free
- 4 Cups of good quality organic vegetable broth-I used low sodium because it’s all I could find
- 1 14 oz. can of white cannelloni beans or white navy beans
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 2 Bay leaves
- ⅛ tsp. ground white pepper
- Sea salt: to taste, about ¾ teaspoon, divided
- 1 Cup almond milk
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice mushrooms into ¼ inch thick strips. Toss in 1 Tablespoon of truffle oil and ⅛ tsp salt then spread on a parchment lines baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the other 1 Tablespoon of truffle oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until onions have softened. Add soy sauce (or Tamari) and stir 1 more minute.
- Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, ⅛ salt, drained and rinsed beans, spices, and bay leaves and bring to a low simmer. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- When mushrooms are done cooking, chop into little pieces and add half of them to the pot. I like my soups with chunks in it but if you don’t, add all the mushrooms to the pot.
- Remove from heat, remove bay leaves if you can find them, and puree with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, puree in a blender in batches and be careful not to burn yourself!
- Once it’s pureed to your liking, return to heat. This is when I add the remaining chopped mushrooms if you still have them. Bring to a low boil uncovered and let the soup reduce for 20 minutes. This should make it a little thicker.
- Once the soup has reduced and thickened, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the almond milk until completely incorporated, taste and season with salt and pepper. I added an additional ⅛ tsp of salt but this will depend on your preference as well as the type of broth you used.
- Ladle into your favourite bowl and enjoy! What’s your favourite “cream of ____” soup that you’d want healthified!?
