Somehow soup and stew weather has crept into July, I mean the temperature isn't even 60 degrees right now! I crave warming, soothing cooked foods in cold weather. This rich mushroom soup is perfect!
If it is hot where you reside then save this recipe for Autumn and serve it with a loaf of crusty gluten-free french bread and a salad of greens, crispy apples, and pumpkin seeds with a good balsamic dressing.
I will admit here that my girls wouldn't try this soup (was it the color?), but my boys, 18 month old twins tried some and then ate two bowls each!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
I had thought to add coconut milk to this soup for the "cream" but thought the deep, earthy flavors of the mushrooms wouldn't mingle very well with the tropical coconut flavors. This is why I chose to use cashews. If you have a nut allergy and can tolerate dairy products then you could add heavy cream. You would have to experiment with amounts though. I used water here but I imagine that a rich chicken or vegetable stock would bring this soup to the next level. My girls picked fresh violets from the garden and put them into each soup bowl - it sure makes for a beautiful presentation!
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped
5 cups water or stock
few sprigs fresh thyme (pull the leaves from the stems)
few sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons Herbamare, or to taste
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
In a large pot (6-quart works) saute the onions in the olive oil until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and mushrooms; saute for a few minutes more.
Add the water, herbs, pepper, and salt. Cover and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and ladle some of the soup into a blender. Add the cashews and sweet rice flour. Blend on high until smooth and creamy; transfer to a clean pot. Puree the remaining soup in batches (you can blend it for just a short time for more texture or longer for a smoother consistency).
Stir the soup together to mix the cashew cream in with the rest of the blended batches. Taste and add more salt if necessary or more water for a thinner consistency. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes to meld the flavors.
Garnish each bowl with sliced and sauteed mushrooms, chopped fresh parsley, and edible flowers.
I am still working on coming up with more pumpkin seed flour recipes, I will post soon. For now you can go to the
Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Flour Cake post for an update on where to purchase the flour!
Other Soup Recipes:
If it is hot where you reside then save this recipe for Autumn and serve it with a loaf of crusty gluten-free french bread and a salad of greens, crispy apples, and pumpkin seeds with a good balsamic dressing.