Sometimes, there’s absolute beauty in simplicity and this soup is a superb example.  It’s very easy to prepare and perfect for a winter week night – especially after a long busy day!  I was inspired by finding the most beautiful wild mushrooms at the market, which contain a depth in flavor that’s perfect for this soup.

The polysacchrides in wild mushrooms also provide valuable health benefits.   They help boost the immune system naturally, by enhancing the body’s first-line-of-defence, which is considered the innate immune response.  There’s been a long history of their therapeutic usage in many cultures, dating as far back to 55 AD in Europe – documented by Dioscorides in his notable work, De Materia Medica.  Their most comprehensive usage has been in the far East, particularly in China, whereby therapeutic properties were documented in 200 AD with Shen Nong Ben Cao.  

Therefore the Wild Mushroom soup nourishes our immune system – to help us fight those wintry bugs that so often hammer our body’s ability to fight infection & disease.  It’s incredibly delicious and light – but with a depth in flavor that makes it truly irresistible. 

Ingredients
1 white onion
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Bouquet Garni with Thyme, Bay Leaf and Sage
500 grams of peeled and chopped Jerusalem Artichokes
100 grams (or 1 cup) of wild mushrooms 
(you could also soak 30 grams or 1/2 cups of dried wild mushrooms in broth)
150 grams of organic chestnut mushrooms
4 litres or 16 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of almond milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Reserved 2-4 mushrooms
Coconut oil

1. Add onions and olive oil to a Dutch oven – and sauté over medium heat.  Add the bouquet garni while the onions sauté.
2. After the onions have soften, add the peeled and chopped Jerusalem Artichokes – and also sprinkle in salt and pepper.  Continue cooking until the artichokes have softened.
3. Meanwhile, chop the wild mushrooms & chestnut mushrooms.  If you have soaked dried mushrooms in broth – be certain to reserve the liquid as this will go into the soup (which adds tremendous flavor!)
4. Once the artichokes have softened, add the mushrooms and cook until they soften.
5. Add the chicken (and mushroom stock from the dried mushrooms) – and bring the soup to a low simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to medium low, add the almond milk
7. Flavor with salt and pepper to taste.
8. When ready to serve, chop the reserved mushrooms (not too thin!)  Warm coconut oil over the stove – and softly sauté mushrooms over a low heat until softened.
9. Serve warm soup in bowls with a sprinkling of sautéed mushrooms.