Immune Supporting Wild Mushroom & White Bean Soup

This delicious and flavoursome soup is packed with prebiotic vegetables and beans to feed our gut bacteria and keep our digestive system healthy. 

The wild mushrooms not only give this soup a distinctive umami flavour but their medicinal compounds may also support a healthy heart and immune system.

Serves 4

Ingredient list:

For the Parsley Oil

40g fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, small, finely chopped

150 ml extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

For the Soup

700 ml chicken stock, precooked

8g dried wild mushrooms (boletes, shiitake, porcini)

1 leek, sliced

2 large shallots, peeled and sliced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

450g fresh shiitake & crimini mushrooms, sliced

250g haricot beans, precooked

2 garlic cloves, medium, finely chopped

Sea salt & pepper to taste

1 lemon, zest & juice

For the Garnish

6 mushrooms, sliced 

25g Mixed seeds, pumpkin, sunflower, chopped 

20g Mixed microgreens, radish, sunflower, rocket

5g Sesame seeds, black, whole

Drizzle of parsley oil

Instructions

For the Parsley oil

1. Place the finely chopped parsley and garlic into a small glass bowl.  Add the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and combine.  Decant into a lidded glass jar and set aside.

For the Soup

1. In a small saucepan, add the 700ml of chicken stock and gently bring to a boil on the hob.  Turn off the heat.  Add the dried mushrooms and allow to rehydrate for 20 minutes.  

1. Next, gently heat a medium/large stock pan.  Add the sliced leek and shallots with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Sauté on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes until the shallots become translucent.  Add a couple of tablespoons of chicken stock if the shallots begin to attach.

2. Add the fresh sliced mushrooms, precooked haricots beans, chopped garlic and a few tablespoons of the chicken stock.  Stir for 3-5 minutes allowing all the flavours to come together.

3. Next, add the dried mushrooms and remaining chicken stock to the stock pan.  Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

4. Pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.  If the soup is too thick add a little more chicken stock or filtered water.

5. Pour the soup back into the stock pan and heat gently.  Add the lemon zest and juice of ½  the lemon, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Add more lemon if desired.

For the Garnish & To Serve

1. Gently heat a small frying pan, add the sliced mushrooms and one tablespoon of the parsley oil.  Gently sauté for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms turn golden in colour.

2. Serve the soup into bowls.  Garnish with the sautéed mushrooms, mixed chopped seeds and sprinkle with the microgreens and sesame seeds for an extra nutritional punch.  Drizzle with parsley oil if desired.

Allergy Advice:  Contains sesame seeds, celery (from stock)

Notes:  

• Dehydrated mushrooms have a more intense flavour than their fresh counterparts so you don’t need as many.

• Soaking haricot beans helps to break down their complex sugars (oligosaccharides) that can cause gas and bloating.  It can also help to reduce their levels of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, which can interfere with the absorption of nutrients in some individuals.

• The parsley oil can be stored in a lidded glass container in the fridge and eaten within 3 days.

• If you’re vegan, you can replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock

Recipe: Carol Hill, Natural Chef