Vegan and Passover friendly the addition of pesto to this creamy mushroom soup adds a burst of flavour. While you might feel suspicious about a creamy mushroom soup that involves zero dairy and has richness and depth, this delicious soup is not just great for Pesach but can work all year! Pesto can be shop bought, but is also something that can easily be made at home with a blender.
Vegan meals often spark fear in hosts but there is such a wealth of delicious vegan recipes that can be made that will be easy for you and keep guests happy. While during the year, cooking vegan food can easily be bulked out with grains and pulses, of course, over Passover, vegan meals are a little more complicated. Here Lara Balsam, Director of JVS shares her utterly delicious Vegan, Passover friendly, Creamy Mushroom Soup (that is cream-free).
Creamy Mushroom Soup (without the cream)
Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients
A wonderfully easy soup to make that transforms basic store cupboard ingredients into a sumptuous, velvety soup.
Handful of dried mushrooms
Good quality olive oil
1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
320g fresh chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 tsp vegetable bouillon (stock powder)
600 ml cold water
A few tbsp pesto
Handful of fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Start by placing your dried mushrooms in a mug full of boiling water. Leave them to soften up whilst preparing all of the vegetables; finely dice the onion, finely slice the garlic, and slice the mushrooms.
2. Add the olive oil to a medium-sized saucepan and gently heat. Add the onions and garlic immediately. Cook on a gentle heat for 5-7 minutes / until the onion becomes translucent. Next, add the chestnut mushrooms and bouillon powder / veg stock.
3. Keep stirring every so often. Once the mushrooms have become tender, add the pre-soaked dried mushrooms, stir, add water, bring to the boil, cover with a lid and cook for a further 15 minutes. Allow the soup to cool slightly before pouring into a blender. The key to getting a creamy soup is blending it for a long time. Remember to give your blender a break every 40-60 seconds. You can also use a stick blender. In total I blend for 2.5 minutes. Transfer the soup back to the saucepan, warm through, and season as desired.
To serve: drizzle a little homemade pesto and add some fresh basil.
Pictures and Recipes by Lara Balsam, Director of JVS
