Shiitake Mushroom Soup

a vegan dish

I've been cooking a lot of mushroom dishes lately.  It was an inadvertent theme for my culinary week's virtual calendar (since I don't keep one).

Say hello to shiitake goodness in a bowl!

If you follow this recipe strictly, you'll come up with a bowl good for:

- 1 or 2 persons


You will need:

- 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 

- 1 medium sized potato, boiled and blended into a paste 

- 2 cups of vegetable stock or water 

- ¼ cup of chopped onion  

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped  

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

- 1 pinch of chopped fresh/dried marjoram leaves  

- 1 pinch of chopped fresh/dried parsley leaves  

- salt for seasoning  

- 3 tablespoons of sweet-salty flavouring sauce (Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce or any vegetarian oyster mushroom sauce if available)

If you don't have pre-made flavouring sauce, you can use this:

Mix 1½ tablespoon of soy sauce, ½ tablespoon of molasses or brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of hot water.

Let's make some mushroom soup:

1. In a saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil for half a minute.  

2. Drop in the mushroom and sauté for a minute.  

3. Pour in your vegetable stock (or water). 

4. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes over low heat.  

5. After simmering, sprinkle in your marjoram and parsley leaves.  

6. Add in the blended potato and pour in the flavouring sauce.  

7. Bring to the boil with continuous stirring to fully mix the ingredients.  

8. When it comes to the boil, simmer covered over low heat for 10 minutes with occasional stirring.  

9. Season with salt to your palate's desire.  

10. Serve!

NOTE:  If you want a smooth soup with just chunks of mushroom but no other annoying chunks, you may blend the onion and garlic before beginning to cook. That's what I did.  It's advisable to do it 'cause it gives the dish a more exciting kick.  It's actually much better!