Vitamin D Mushroom and Mustard Soup – Good Mood Food

Mushrooms make vitamin D in response to sunlight, so leave them out to sunbathe for as long as you like before you make the soup. We use a variety of mushrooms in this recipe, all of which have different tastes and textures.

Shiitake mushrooms come from Asia and are traditionally grown on hardwood logs such as oak. Oyster mushrooms look rather like silvery grey ears, and like shiitake have a meaty texture. Both shiitake and oyster have medicinal properties. Porcini mushrooms have a strong nutty flavour and are much used in Italian cooking. They can be rather expensive, so, if you prefer, substitute white button mushrooms, which are just as nutritious and may have extra benefits for your mood, as you can read in our Nutrition Note at the end of the recipe.

Leave the skin on the parsnips for extra fibre and goodness. Feel free to use swedes as an alternative to parsnips, and substitute cream or Greek yoghurt for the mascarpone.

– Serves 4 –

10 dried porcini mushrooms

600g mixed mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, button), roughly chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3 parsnips, washed and chopped

50ml white wine

750ml vegetable or chicken stock

70g fresh parsley

1 tablespoon mustard

11⁄2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

1. Pour 200ml boiling water over the porcini mushrooms in a bowl, cover and let them soak for 20 minutes.

2. Wash the fresh mushrooms and if you have time, leave them to dry in uninterrupted (no windows or glass) sunlight for 1 hour. This increases their vitamin D content.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the red onion. Cook it on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the garlic and parsnips.

4. When the onions have softened, add the fresh mushrooms and cook for a further minute, then pour in the white wine.

5. Drain the liquid from the porcini mushrooms into another bowl, then add them to the pan. Sieve the liquid a few times to remove any grit before pouring it into the pan along with the stock.

6. Turn down the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until all the ingredients are soft.

7. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley and mustard, then blend the soup to your preferred consistency. Don't blend it for too long, or you will lose the texture of the mushrooms.

8. Stir in the mascarpone (I sometimes add a little extra mustard too) before serving, or dollop it on top with a sprinkle of parsley once you have ladled the soup into bowls.

Recipe from my book The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food

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