mushroom leek soup

Leave a comment

bowl of mushroom leek soup

During Great Lent we eat almost 40 days of soup.  Mostly, this is because it’s simpler to prepare our foods in this way.

This mushroom leek soup is one of my favorites – a hearty mushroom soup, made with just a few ingredients.  This is easy and nourishing and has many variations.

[box]

Mushroom Leek Soup

serves two as a main course, with a nice big salad!

Ingredients

10 ounces of your favorite mushrooms (we just get the assorted pack with shiitake, cremini and portabello

2 leeks sliced thin, green and white parts

4 cloves garlic, minced

6-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Optional items:

1 strip kombu / seaweed

brown rice noodles

dash of toasted sesame oil

soy sauce or sirachi hot sauce to taste

you can use any combination of herbs that you prefer, like sage, bay leaf, oregano

[/box]

mushroom leek soup prep

 

[box]

Preparation :

In a pot over medium low heat, add sliced leeks, salt, pepper,  rosemary and thyme.  Chop mushrooms and place in soup pot.   Let the leeks and  mushrooms sweat for about 10 minutes.   This will draw the water and flavors out of them.

[/box]

 

ready to cook mushroom leek soup

 

[box]

Add garlic and water.  Place lid on pot and let simmer for 30-45 minutes.  This really depends on how tight the lid on your pot fits and whether a lot of steam escapes.

5 minutes before ready to eat, add two nests (they come bunched together and it looks like nests) of rice noodles to the mushroom leek soup.  You can take it off the heat and place the lid on, or continue to simmer.  They will cook either way.

[/box]

 

The final consistency I like is more on the stew side.

You can add any of the optional items or enjoy it as is.

Enjoy.

 

bowl of mushroom leek soup

fish broth

Leave a comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

“The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it does great things. But where it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” —Saint Gregory the Great

 

This is a simple fish broth and it’s also a very inexpensive one too.   In fact, fish broth can be the least expensive for you to make.  Just make a call to your local fish monger or supermarket and ask them to put aside any carcasses for you from the day.  Chances are they’ll charge you 50 cents to a dollar for it, or just let you have them for free!  For vegetarians, this is a great way to add the benefits of bone broth in to your diet.

Fish broth has a delicate flavor but strong smell when it is cooking.

It’s a good idea to avoid the larger fish when making broth – this is due to the probable build up of mercury in the larger varieties like tuna.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium fish carcasses or several fish heads – such as  rockfish, snapper, or turbot
  • 1 small head celery
  • 1 medium onion cut into fourths
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 small head garlic, washed, not peeled but cut in half
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
  • 3 quarts cold water
  • juice of one lemon

Place all ingredients except lemon in stock pot.  Bring to boil and skim.  Simmer covered for 3 hours.  Remove from heat, strain add the juice of the lemon and use or store.  It is important not too cook with the lemon, but add it at the end as if you cook with the lemon that will impart a bitter flavor to the soup.