A great way to support optimum immunity

What makes this a “real” Hungarian mushroom soup, well only that it was created by a truly Hungarian(and Polish) cook who took a common recipe and made it more fabulous because that’s what herbalists do with food.

My Hungarian grandmother ate soup every day, but wasn’t really big on mushrooms. My Polish grandmother, on the other hand, was the one who taught me to pick wild mushrooms in Northern Ontario, Canada as a small child, and ever since then, I get a total thrill out of foraging them.

To make a good soup, you’ve got to give it time. In this recipe, I took wild foraged mushrooms, like Chanterelles, Lions Mane, and Porcinis, as well as some shiitakes. I wont touch criminis, (also known as button) if I can help it. The key to a good mushroom soup for immunity is diversity and mixing in a bunch of different ones especially wild ones if you can find them! You absolutely can add a couple of slices of Reishi as well or many other varieties as well so be creative! I try to keep Reishi separate, as they are woody, and I pull them out right before eating.

Let your soup simmer and steep for as long as possible. Mushrooms are adaptogenic and can help build and enhance immunity. They are high in protein, many vitamins like D and different Bs as well as beta glucans(different varieties have differing amounts) which enhance the immune system as well as begin antimicrobial (in particular antiviral). Soups can sit in crock pots and be an easy meal. You can thicken this to create a sauces, or even reduce it down to a paste and use as a spread. Mushrooms are one of my first go to remedies for folks with chronic immune deficiencies, or autoimmune issues. Though it isn’t the answer for everyone, it can be a simple and effective way to support yourself, especially during seasonal shifts. Here is an adapted recipe you can further adapt to suit your own needs!

You will need:

• 1 pound of fresh mushrooms
• 1 large onion
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tblspns of dill
• 1-2 tblspns of parsley
• 1-2 tbslpsns of Hungarian smoked paprika
• 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce or salt
• 1 /2 cup of cream or 1 cup of milk(can do a dairy free option)
• 1-2 quarts of stock(depending on how thick you want it)
• 1 splash of red wine
• 2-3 tblspns of flour(can be gluten-free or skip)
• 1 dollop of sour cream(optional)

Assemble all of your mushrooms(about 1 pound) and rough chopped them with 1 large onion and several cloves of garlic. Sautee them in a couple of tablespoons of butter at the bottom of a large cast-iron enamel pot until they were all soft and yummy, added some soy sauce, paprika, and a little bit of stock(chicken or veggie is fine). I let that simmer for a bit and then added some heavy cream and a bit of gluten-free flour and red wine. After they simmer for about another 20 minutes, slowly add the rest of the stock and the rest of the spices and let site on low and cover for another 30 min or until you get hungry. I like to garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley. The result is very hearty and has been a great main course with a nice green salad and sourdough bread(if you are a bread eater)

Voila! Enjoy~Nicole