No cream, Cream of mushroom soup

shroom
I love cream soups, I really do, but I don’t love the high fat content, and calories associated with this comfort classic. I love mushrooms as well, and found them to be quite underutilized as a main dish in Western cuisine. I have made many cream of mushroom soups in my day, but this one has got to be the show stopper! Completely plant based, with minimal sodium, you wouldn’t think it would taste as truly decadent and creamy as it does. My secret? Cannellini beans and cauliflower! This easy soup will have even the most plant based skeptic asking for seconds, and you know what? You can have seconds of this soup and not have to worry about your waistline.
Our ingredients:
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, with a handful reserved for garnish
½ medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 oz. dried porcini
2 tbsp. reduced sodium tamari or bragg’s liquid aminos
In a medium sauce pan combine all ingredients (except mushrooms for garnish, we will get to those in a sec) cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, let simmer while you prepare your other ingredients.
½ head of cauliflower florets
Place cauliflower florets in a small sauce pan, cover with water, steam 10 minutes, set aside.
For the rest of your mushrooms, place a tsp. of camelina oil (amazing raw oil, rich in omega 3’s, if you can’t find that you can use olive oil) in a sauté pan over medium high heat, sauté until golden, set aside.
Note: never salt mushrooms before you sauté them, it will release all their water and they will never brown, but rather wilt.
Take your mushroom soup and blend to desired consistency, I like very smooth, the beans add an amazing velvety texture. I used an immersion blender for convenience, keep soup warm.
Do the same blend on the cauliflower adding more water if too thick, you want a creamy, gravy like texture, add a drop or two of truffle oil, if you really want to up the decadence, a drop or two is all it takes and provides amazing aroma. Leave this out if you want…..but it really elevates the dish.
Pour mushroom soup into four bowls, spoon your cauliflower puree on top, garnish with sautéed mushroom and a little parsley, you can adjust your own level of salt, I am trying to cut out any extra. Bellisimo! If you feel the presentation is too fussy, just add the cauliflower to your mushroom soup at the start and blend all together….I however, personally live for fussy presentation…haha!