Mushroom, Potato & Leek Soup

Cream based soups are a classic cooking method, but there are truly so many more options and ways to create that velvety texture in soups. What most people may, or may not, realize is that potatoes are an incredibly simple and healthy ingredient to use to help create the rich consistency of a cream based soup with a much lighter option. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for healthy cooking fats, but dairy doesn’t work for everyone’s dietary needs, so it’s nice to have some different options and alternatives to turn to.

Whether they are mashed, roasted and baked, potatoes are a total comfort food and that’s exactly what they do for this do in this dish. Although potatoes have bad rap for being a “bad carb”, I can assure you that is not the case at all. Potatoes are a rich source of complex carbohydrates, energy, they are high in fiber and a great source of minerals. (If you are still not convinced, have a read of my blog post All About Carbohydrates where I break down the good, bad and ugly sides of carbohydrates.)

In addition to the potatoes, mushrooms are the true superfood in this dish. The medicinal use of mushrooms has a very long tradition in Asian countries that goes back thousands of years, so it’s a wonder we North American’s are just seeing their benefits now. These little pieces of fungi are incredibly immune boosting, help to protect heart health, and are also a good source of vitamin D. There are hundreds of mushroom varieties, but the more common grocery store available ones include button, cremini, shitake, chanterelles, oyster, porcini, and portobello.

This recipe is a combination of two of my personal favourite types of soup; potato leek soup and cream of mushroom soup. This particular recipe calls for a combination of mushrooms, so feel free to experiment with whatever ones you can find. In general, the smaller mushrooms create better flavour in soup, so look for porcini, chanterelles and cremini for maximum flavour.

Mushroom, Potato & Leek Soup

You can use any combination of mushrooms for the recipes, whatever you have in the fridge will work just fine.This flavour in this soup depends after time, and it also stores well in the freezer for later.

Author: Stephanie Kay

Scale

Ingredients

4 white potatoes
4 leeks
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
5 cups mixed mushrooms (button, cremini, shitake, etc…)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1-liter vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: Extra mushrooms and olive oil to serve

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes, you should have about 2 cups of potatoes. Dice leeks, white and green parts included. Peel and mince garlic. Roughly chop mushrooms into halves or quarters.
In a large pot on medium heat, melt butter and add diced leeks. Saute for 5-7 minutes until leeks are tender.
Add mushrooms and garlic to pot, season with a pinch of salt to help extract water, and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms have cooked down.
Add diced potatoes and thyme to the pot (stems removed), and stir well to combine.
Cover vegetables with stock, stir to combine and allow to cook 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Once the soup has cooked, and the potatoes are tender, using an immersion blender, or transferring in batches to a blender, puree the soup into a smooth consistency.
Depending on your potatoes, you may need to add a little more stock or water to thin the soup if it is too thick.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The soup can be served as is, or I like to add additional sauteed mushrooms on top. Simply heat oil in a small skillet, add diced mushrooms and saute until golden and crispy. Top the soup and add a final drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Enjoy!