Light and Creamy Mushroom Soup

I've made several quinoa recipes before....Chorizo and Quinoa (which was a good way to incorporate it with some protein); Tangerine Quinoa Pilaf (a good use if you have leftover Satsumas); and Wine Country Grain Melody (a good side dish salad). One thing I've never done was incorporate quinoa into a soup so I decided to make this Mushroom soup from the Quinoa 365 cookbook.  I'm finding quinoa is a good way to get more fiber into our diets so something like this soup, which kind of disguises the fact you're eating quinoa, is good.

This dish wasn't bad. I did want more of an earthy mushroom type flavor (maybe different mushrooms) but for a light soup, we enjoyed it. First though, it looks like crap. Seriouslyy, not the best looking dish to present (and how does one photograph an ugly brown soup to make it drool worthy anyway?) The Light and Creamy Mushroom Soup was tasty, though both Mr. L and I needed much more salt (which probably went against all of it's healthiness).  The soup was quite filling as we ended up just having the soup as our meal.

LIGHT AND CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP
(Quinoa 365 Cookbook)

1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa
2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 cup (250 mL) diced onion
8 cups (2 L) chopped white button mushrooms
4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp (5mL) minced fresh (or roasted) garlic
1 cup (250 mL) half and half cream (10-12%) (more for garnish)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
Pinch ground black pepper
3 Tbsp (45 mL) half and half cream (10-12%; optional)
3 Tbsp (45 mL) finely chopped chives (optional)

Place the quinoa in a large, dry saucepan over medium heat. Toast the quinoa until fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Place the quinoa in a bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same large saucepan and saute the onion and mushrooms until the onion is opaque and tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of the mixture and set aside. Add the toasted quinoa, stock and garlic to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 18 minutes. Puree the cooked mixture with a hand blender or cool slightly and puree in 2 batches in a blender of food processor. Return the soup to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the reserved mushroom mixture and the 1 cup (250 mL) of cream. Reheat gently, being sure not to boil the soup. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of cream and some chives (if using). Serves 4-6

Note: Used vegetable stock. Used minced fresh garlic. Used the optional extra cream and chives for garnish.

A good dish, nothing spectacular. I think adding more flavorful mushrooms would help. A great way to get some fiber into your diet though.

Comments

[Patrice]

I think soup is the most difficult subject to photograph. Yours actually looks very tasty.

[Chris]

Great shot of the soup! I'm not a huge fan of quinoa, I've tried it, but never in a soup, so maybe this will be better for me to try.

[Cassaendra]

Hi Mrs. L, Wow, I love quinoa and have used it to pour soups over. I love mushroom soup so this sounds wonderful -- nutty and a nice texture.