We know that clean eating is SO important to our overall health. Processed, pre-packaged foods are FULL of sugar, preservatives, chemicals, and junk that keeps us feeling sick, tired, and unhealthy. Eating fresh, natural foods, on the other hand, nourishes and fuels our bodies, minds, and spirits!
However… (There’s always a however, isn’t there?) Do you ever feel like you are missing out on delicious, flavorful meals when you start a clean eating lifestyle? Do you associate eating clean ingredients and fresh food with bland, boring meals?
If you do, you are not alone. That’s one of the biggest holdups to more people tossing out the junk and embracing clean eating – the fear of missing out on delicious food! But guess what, I’m here to tell you that clean eating and delicious eating are NOT mutually exclusive! Healthy does NOT equal bland and boring!
That’s why I want to share this absolutely AMAZING recipe for my Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup! This is a rich, delicious soup that is has a deep, savory flavor and a fantastic texture. If you are looking for a gourmet comfort food, you have to try this!
This Medical Medium friendly, creamy portobello soup is just what you need on a cold or rainy afternoon. Did you know that mushrooms contain hundreds of undiscovered phytochemical compounds?
Do you want to know the best part of it? Not only is it incredible tasting, but it is absolutely PACKED with minerals and nutrients. Unlike so many rich soups, this won’t weigh you down or make you feel heavy.
Before we get to the recipe, I know you might be thinking, “What’s so special about mushrooms?” That’s a fair question because mushrooms are too often overlooked and ignored. Here’s the thing, though: mushrooms are one of the BEST foods you can eat! Each variety of mushroom has some variation in their benefits but they are all so good for you.
Let’s look at the Crimini/ Portobello mushroom.
Fun fact: Portobello mushrooms are just larger crimini mushrooms that have been picked and then allowed to ripen further. Nutritionally and botanically they are the same. Sometimes crimini mushrooms are called “baby bellos.”
Crimini mushrooms are LOADED with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. The nutrients found in crimini mushrooms, according to Medical MediumTM are:
- Vitamin E, D, and B12
- Zinc – a powerful immune booster
- Selenium – an antioxidant that fights free radicals and slows the aging process
- Iron – strengthens your blood and gives you energy
- Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) – a cancer-preventing compound that is especially effective against breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers
- L-ergothioneine – a powerful antioxidant known to increase cognitive function, eye health, and reproductive health
- Tryptophan – an essential amino acid that is necessary in creating serotonin. This helps stabilize mood swings and aid in a balanced sleep pattern.
In addition to all of these incredible qualities that are essential to good health, Crimini mushrooms have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation leads to serious health issues, including heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and asthma. Eating mushrooms on a regular basis can reduce the chronic inflammation and heal so many of your health problems, not only the ones I just listed, but also general fatigue, leaky gut, autoimmune issues, brain fog, and digestive problems.
Would you have ever thought a mushroom could be so good for you?
With their savory, deep flavor and fantastic nutritional benefits, crimini or portobello mushrooms can be an excellent addition to your meals. You can eat them raw or steamed and add them to fresh salads. If you want to add more flavors to them, sautéing or roasting them really brings out the flavor, and they are great in soups and other dishes. Mushrooms do a great job of absorbing flavors of other ingredients, so when they are added to other ingredients or dishes, the flavor is that much deeper and complex.
Benefits:
Mushrooms are actually a medicine for the liver. Many people avoid mushrooms because they believe that a mushroom being a fungus will feed other fungus within the body. However, this is not true. In fact, a mushroom is a fungus that actually destroys fungus within your body and helps push unwanted microorganisms out of the liver.
Mushrooms also help cleaner blood arrive to the liver by reducing the amount of fungus, bacteria, and viruses in the intestinal tract. You see, mushrooms are actually allies to the liver.
Another benefit: Mushrooms are a really great texture substitute for meat. In Pakistan, we have a popular dish called Biryani, made of chicken or meat and rice. I have made this for festive occasions with mushrooms instead of meat or chicken. And many of my friends don’t even notice that there was no real meat in the dish. So if you are trying to help someone go vegan, try adding in mushrooms into the dish! It really makes a difference.
Try my recipe for Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup. It’s a great combination of comfort food and health food, and it’s always a hit!
With this in mind, you can indulge in this delicious creamy portobello soup knowing you are actually helping your body heal!
Creamy Portobello Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large portobello mushrooms (4 medium)
- 1 Japanese sweet potato diced
- 3 potatoes peeled & diced
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1 large sweet onion chopped
- 7 cloves garlic chopped
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste (optional, as to some, this is an irritant)
- 1 head broccoli roughly chopped
- 1 ½ can organic coconut milk
- 8 Cups filtered water, vegetable broth, or Healing Broth
Instructions
- Sauté the onions, garlic and celery in a 1 tbsp of coconut oil until translucent.
- Then add the celery, broccoli, potato and sweet potato.
- Sauté gently and then add 8 cups of filtered water (vegetable or healing broth) and let it simmer.
- Once gently simmering, add in the portobello mushrooms and allow to simmer some more.
- After about 30 minutes use a hand blender to puree all the vegetables in the soup
- If you do not have a hand blender, you can transfer them into your high speed blender to do this part.
- Once done, add in the coconut milk, the seasoning and serve.
If you would like to keep this creamy portobello soup on the more cleansing side, you can swap the coconut milk for three additional potatoes. Without any added fat, this recipe would be great for the Medical Medium 369 cleanses (Simplified and Original). For another healing recipe you may enjoy, check out my Potato Asparagus Soup (Fat Free Optional).
For more delicious recipe options, take a look at my free resource: Flourish Recipe eBook.
To your health & happiness,
Muneeza
