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Many store-bought soups are made with a long list of unrecognizable ingredients and include tons of added salt or preservatives. This recipe is easy to make at home and comes together with only eight ingredients. ## Minimal Prep Time Since this soup doesn’t require much hands-on time or effort, you can enjoy it any day of the week! You can even make it ahead of time and simply bring it back to temperature over medium-low heat until it's ready to serve. Because it reheats so well, it’s perfect for weekend meal prep. Then, just heat it up on busy nights when you need a quick, healthy meal. ## Quality Ingredients The vegetable broth is studded with onions, garlic, and mushrooms to form this simple, yet flavor-packed soup. Using a blender or immersion blender creates a silky smooth texture. But the highlight of this creamy mushroom soup, of course, is fresh mushrooms. Too many other ingredients, like heavy cream or half and half, will take away from the deep, earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Not to mention how light and refreshing this version is! Most mushroom soup recipes call for tons of butter and cream, but this recipe is low-fat, low-carb, and low-calorie, making it a much healthier option than traditional versions. It's also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo — suitable for just about any diet! ## Health Benefits Mushrooms have been used for their healing properties around the world for centuries. They've been shown to boost the immune system, and prevent many serious health conditions. There is promising research being done that suggests the power of mushrooms in cancer prevention and treatment. According to [this 2016 study] (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27447602 "this 2016 study"), mushrooms contain a class of proteins called lectins, which are able to bind to abnormal cells and cancer cells and label the cells for destruction by our immune system. Additionally, they're low in calories, high in fiber, and increase satiety, which can aid in weight loss. They're popular among vegans, thanks to their meaty texture. They provide many critical nutrients, including B vitamins, potassium, copper, and selenium, and they're packed with antioxidants. ## Range of Options You may be wondering what type of mushroom to use in this recipe. Here's an overview of commonly used mushrooms and their characteristics, so you can decide for yourself which ones you'd like to use! For this soup, you can use one type or create a mushroom mixture by using two or three varieties. Be careful with wild mushrooms, though, since some are toxic to humans and not edible. Better to stick to store-bought ‘shrooms. ## Portobello Mushrooms Dense portobellos are commonly used in Italian cooking, thanks to their rich flavor and the depth they lend to sauces and pasta dishes. Use them in this mushroom soup recipe for an amazing depth of flavor! ## Shiitake Mushrooms Shiitake mushrooms originally grew wild in the forests of Japan, but most are cultivated these days - so they ’re easy to find in your local grocery store. They have a relatively light flavor which, when dried, can be much more intense. When used in this soup recipe, they add a lovely earthy flavor. ## White Button Mushrooms White button mushrooms are the most commonly used mushroom and they are also the mildest in taste. Most of the dishes you order at a restaurant or recipes you see call for this variety. They are readily available, which means you'll have no trouble finding them for this recipe. ## Preparing Mushrooms To prepare the mushrooms for this recipe, use a moist paper towel to brush off any dirt. You can also lightly rinse the mushrooms and pat them dry, but don’t soak them so they don’t absorb extra water. ## Mushroom Soup Recipe Ready to get to the good part? Here's how to make it! If you want to make it thicker, you can blend in pureed beans or cashews to keep it vegan. If you want a non-vegan, non-vegetarian version, you can use chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock and top it with Parmesan cheese.
