Vegan & Gluten free - Creamy Chunky Mushroom Soup

I love mushrooms. They have an earthy flavor which is best felt in a bowl of "mushroom"y soup :). They are also in season right now, and so are fresh and cheap. The local farmers market in Portland has different types of wild mushrooms , some of them can cost up to $20/ pound ! You should check it out if you are in Portland. But for this recipe I have used the easily available crimini mushrooms. This soup is creamy and has chunks of mushrooms. The cream does not take over the earthiness of the mushrooms in this soup. So if you like mushrooms, this soup is definitely for you.

New soup bowls have a way of making us drink more soup..

I have adopted this recipe from New Season market's Cream of mushroom soup. It is easy to make this soup Vegan , and I have included substitutions for it.

Recipe:

2 cups crimini mushrooms
1 onion diced finely
1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 tbsp rice flour

2 cups water or vegetable stock
2-3 tbsp cream or coconut cream
pinch of cayenne
salt & pepper to taste
fresh cilantro for garnish.

* Clean mushrooms using a tissue paper. Keep 1/4 cup of the mushrooms aside and chop finely. Slice the rest of the mushrooms.

* In a heavy bottomed vessel add the oil and diced onions and sliced mushrooms. Cover the pan and sweat on low heat for 6-7 minutes.

* Add the rice flour and cook for 1 minute. Make sure there are no lumps.

* Slowly add the water or vegetable stock to the mixture . Then add the cream / coconut cream, cayenne, salt and pepper.

* Cook for 15 minutes. Until everything is combined and the soup looks thickened.

* Remove from flame and using an immersion blender blend the soup. Put it back on the flame again and add the finely chopped mushroom pieces and cook until done.

* Serve with chopped cilantro.

I made this with couscous salad and it was a great combination. I will put up the recipe for Couscous salad tomorrow. Let me know how the soup turned out ! Ciao.

Creamy mushroom soup with couscous salad

Thai curry Butternut Squash Soup

It's fall already ! The year has flown by so soon. I remember last December I went home to India and now its almost December again :O. Come Fall and there are different winter squashes and pumpkins available everywhere. They are hard to avoid. I haven't experimented a lot with butternut squash, but I seem to be liking it a lot lately. When its cold and rainy, there is nothing like a hot bowl of hearty home made soup.
A few weeks back I made a thai inspired butternut squash soup, which is hearty, easy to make and fills you up. I will not be surprised if you have most of the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry. This soup is dairy free and delicious.

Thai Butternut squash soup.

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash peeled, cubed and de-seeded ( 2 cups )
2-3 cloves of Garlic cut finely
1 small onion diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red thai curry paste
4 cups Vegetable stock
14 oz can coconut milk
Salt & Pepper
Cilantro chopped
Roasted peanuts - for garnish

* In a heavy bottomed pot, add olive oil, onions and garlic. Add a dash of salt to help it cook. The onions will turn a light pink and start sweating.

* Add the red thai curry paste and cook for another 2 mins.

* Now add your butternut squash and vegetable stock. Close with lid and let it cook for 10-15 mins or until soft.

* Once it is soft, take it off the stove and blend either in a blender or use an immersion blender to puree it. The puree will be very thick. Add the coconut milk, salt and pepper. Adjust with water if its too thick.

* Put the pot back on the stove and let it simmer for a few minutes until everything has blended properly. Do not let the mixture boil.

Serve with chopped cilantro and peanuts. I also like adding a dash of lime for an authentic thai taste. To make it more spicy trying adding siracha or red chilli flakes to the soup as it cooks. We added a dash of siracha and it elevated the flavor of the soup .

I hope you all enjoy.