Anti-Inflammatory Mushroom, Chestnut & Almond Soup with Spelt & Toasted Seeds
Where to start with my love for mushrooms, especially over the winter months! Not only are they delicious, but they contain a natural compound called beta-glucan which helps to support the immune system (something we could all use a hand with right now). The stems provide double the amount of the caps, so don't discard them! This soup is a great way to include a variety of fresh & dried mushrooms in one go, each bringing its own nutrition & 'umami' flavour. Combining with sweet chestnuts and almond milk gives the soup an amazing dairy-free creaminess, whilst the addition of spelt adds a great texture and removes the need for bread (although you are still welcome to add this!). It might not have the vibrance of a butternut or beetroot soup but it certainly makes up for it in flavour.
Servings: 4 Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
200g spelt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
2 celery sticks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only (or 2 tsp dried thyme) 250g mixed mushrooms of choice, sliced (stem & cap) 1.2L homemade bone broth or veggie stock
180g cooked chestnuts (eg. Merchant Gourmet)
salt & pepper to taste
25 – 50ml unsweetened almond milk To serve:
pumpkin seeds, toasted
almonds, toasted and chopped
sprinkle thyme leaves
sprinkle sumac
Method
Start by cooking the spelt using the packet instructions, usually about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and saute the onions and celery over low-medium heat for 10 minutes. Add any dried mushrooms at this stage too.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 10 minutes until the vegetables are turning soft, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the fresh mushrooms and stock, give everything a good stir and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the chestnuts and simmer for another 15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper
Add the mushroom mixture to a blender with 25ml almond milk and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining 25ml almond milk if the mixture seems too thick, and salt & pepper to taste.
Finally, mix the spelt through the soup and divide it between four bowls. Sprinkle with toasted almonds, pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of thyme leaves and sumac.
