Friday, August 31, 2007

CHANTERELLE TIME AGAIN!

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Fresh chanterelles picked on Denman Island.

Since this has been a mixed-bag of a summer, with lots of rain interspersed with heat, chanterelle mushrooms are popping up all over, except in our area (some years we get some, and other years, nothing). Our friends Jane and Matzuki have the "motherlode" of chanterelle patches and, fortunately for us, pick more than they can use! They share lots of their bounty with us! (I saw them for sale online for $25 a lb.!) I use them in risotto and sautes, and I slice mounds of them and cook them in oil in a hot oven in a large baking pan to freeze for later use. But one of our favorite uses for chanterelle mushrooms is in classic Mushroom and Barley Soup, which we had last night for dinner, and again for lunch today.

(BTW, 5 medium chanterelles, or about 3 oz., contains only 25 calories and 3 g of protein.)



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CLASSIC MUSHROOM AND BARLEY SOUP (You can make this with other mushrooms, too!) A WW CORE PLAN-COMPATIBLE RECIPE
serves 8
Adapted from my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".

This is a very rich-tasting soup, very comforting. It’s one of my absolute favorites. This version is a typical Eastern European variety, but you can add a few cooked beans or slivered tofu for extra protein, if you like. I have streamlined this recipe from the book a little.

1/2 oz. dried boletus or porcini mushrooms, broken up
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. fresh sliced chanterelle, crimini (brown button), or portobello (large brown) mushrooms
10 c. vegetarian "chicken" broth
1-2 tsp. Marmite,Vegemite or other yeast extract (or 2-4 tsp. dark or red miso)
1 c. pot barley (also called hulled barley)
OPTIONAL:
1 c. cooked or canned soybeans or black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, OR 6 oz. firm tofu, cut into slivers
salt and pepper to taste

Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 1/2 an hour. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and saute the onion, celery, 2 T. of the parsley, carrots, garlic, and fresh mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Slowly add the broth.

Strain the dried mushrooms and reserve the water. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot along with the reserved water, barley, and yeast extract or miso. Add optional the beans or tofu, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Taste for salt and pepper.



If the soup is too thick for your liking (it thickens up when cooled), just add some more broth.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 147.9 calories; 24% calories from fat; 4.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 80.6mg sodium; 463.2mg potassium; 24.1g carbohydrates; 5.8g fiber; 3.2g sugar; 18.3g net carbs; 5.7g protein; 2.5 points.


Enjoy!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my that soup looks so good! I am eager for fall now : )

MeloMeals said...

Wow, that soup looks so good. I love a good mushroom barley, and this just takes it to the next level.

Jul said...

Yay, I love chanterelles! We've been enjoying them for the past several weeks here.

Vegan In The VI said...

I'm making this soup again today, and again, I don't see where it says to add the dried mushrooms or whether or not to reconstitute them. I just add them reconstituted w/the fresh, but I wondered why you listed them first in the recipe?

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

Shenandoah Vegan-- thanks for pointing that out omission! It should read at the beginning: "Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 1/2 an hour. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a soup pot and saute the onion,..." etc. I will fix it!

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

Oops, I forgot-- also it should read "Strain the dried mushrooms and reserve the water. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot along with the reserved water, barley, and yeast extract or miso."

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

I have added a (corrected) printable recipe link.

Vegan In The VI said...

Thanks for the response and update. It's a great recipe!

Anonymous said...

it's criminal to cook chanterelles without lardon and demi-glass...for shame

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

You should try it some time!