Spicy Mushroom Soup with Spinach is both delicious and nutritious!

There’s nothing better than a bowl of spicy, fragrant, fresh mushroom soup on a chilly night to warm you up. And when the sun is missing from your days and your Vitamin D levels are low, this is the cure! Did you know that mushrooms are a good natural source of Vitamin D in food? It’s true! It’s because the gills on the underside absorb and hold the Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight or ultra-violet lights. To optimize the levels, lay the mushrooms out under UV lights or in the sun for 15 minutes with gill sides facing up. If you can find sun dried mushrooms and save them for Winter months you could boost your absorption even in the darkest month of December. I prefer shiitake mushrooms. You can order some here if you would like. Mushrooms are also probiotic and stimulate the microbiome in the gut and colon, encouraging good bacteria to grow. This effects your overall health and mood.

In addition to Vitamin D, mushrooms are a good source of Selenium and Vitamin B6. To ensure you are getting the most from your mushrooms, choose a mix of Cremini, Portabella , Shiitake, White Button, and Maitake. In addition, spinach is considered a superfood. It has about 250 milligrams per cup along with magnesium and iron.

Ingredients Needed

1 lb. Fresh Mushroom- chopped ( I like to mix 3 or 4 varieties)

1/2 lb. Shallots- peeled and diced

4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1 Tbs. Tomato Paste

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Corriander

1 tsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp Fresh Thyme chopped or 1 tsp dried

1/8 tsp Allspice

5 Cups Chicken Broth

Spinach- Several handfuls of chopped baby spinach ( can substitute Kale)

Salt to taste – I prefer Celtic or Himalayan Salt

Black Pepper to taste – Fresh cracked pepper preferred

Step by Step Directions

I recommend having all ingredients diced, chopped, minced and measured prior to turning on the stove.

In a heavy bottom pot, sauté the first 3 ingredients in butter or olive oil. It’s best not to crowd the pot so do half at a time. Use half the butter and half the olive oil with half the mushrooms and shallots. Sautéed for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are browned and shallots are translucent. Remove from heat and put in bowl. Repeat process with remainder butter, oil, mushrooms and shallots. Add the first half of mushrooms and shallots back into pan when second half is browned.

Then add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, and fresh thyme. . Sauté until fragrant ( about 2 minutes) and add 5 cups of chicken broth ( or water for Vegan version). Bring to simmer continue to cook for a few minutes. Add fresh spinach ( or kale) and continue to cook to wilt. . Salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowl and add fresh lime juice to finish and dollop of Greek style yogurt ( both optional but really adds depth to the flavor. I actually used vanilla flavored yogurt and the hint of sweetness really worked!)
Bon Appetite!

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