Ingredients needed for your mushroom spinach and polenta soup
- 80-100 g oyster mushroom king oyster mushroom
- 80-100 г button mushroom
- 1 piece Leek around 10 cm
- 1 handful of spinach
- 4-5 cup bio vegetable stock
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs thyme leaves
- 4 tbs polenta
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- Salt by taste
- black pepper by taste
- chilli flakes optional
Many people believe that it’s impossible for a food to combine good taste, high nutritional values and little calories. However, mushrooms certainly meet all these conditions. They share characteristics with both the plant and animal kingdoms. What is special about them is that instead of plant starch they contain animal glycogen. Their nutritional properties are irreplaceable and beneficial. All types of mushrooms are rich in variety of nutrients and are low in calories.
They contain B-vitamins that are beneficial to the nervous and cardiovascular systems. They also contain vitamin D in the same amounts with those in butter. As we know, this vitamin strengthens the skeletal system and prevents rickets. Yellow and orange mushrooms (such as Chanterelle) are source of vitamin A (beta-carotene).
Mushrooms also contain valuable minerals, such as potassium (more than bananas), phosphorus (as in fish), iron, magnesium, copper, calcium, selenium, zinc, chromium, sulfur, iodine, etc.
They also have anti-cancer properties – the antioxidants such as selenium and the small amounts of vitamin E and others help fight harmful free radicals. One study suggests that regular consumption of mushrooms significantly reduces the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including mammary tumors and prostate cancer.
For this soup I used king oyster mushroom and button mushroom. The king oyster mushroom is easily found in Germany’s markets and I’ve used it often without knowing its name in my mother tongue language, which I found out just yesterday when writing the recipe in Bulgarian … I made an inquiry in an internet group and with the help of a few kind people successfully figured out its name. The king oyster mushroom belongs to the oyster mushroom family and in this case could be easily replaced with every other type of mushroom you have on hand, as it’s rather difficult to find in Bulgaria.
I recently rediscovered the polenta ( cornmeal or also known as kachamak in eastern Europe). The polenta could be made out of in different grains. Currently, the most popular one is made from cornmeal, which should not boil long – 2-3 minutes are enough. It is obtained by steam-treated and dried corn. Thank the few spoons of polenta the soup thickens, gains yellow color and corn flavour. We like it very much, but if you are unsure about the polenta, you can leave the soup clear.
How to prepare this king oyster mushroom spinach and polenta soup
King oyster mushroom, spinach and polenta soup
Ingredients
- 80-100 g oyster mushroom king oyster mushroom
- 80-100 г button mushroom
- 1 piece Leek around 10 cm
- 1 handful of spinach
- 4-5 cup bio vegetable stock
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs thyme leaves
- 4 tbs polenta
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- Salt by taste
- black pepper by taste
- chilli flakes optional
Instructions
- Clean and cut the mushrooms. I left a few slices of the button mushrooms, which I fried for decoration in the end, but that’s completely up to you… Finely chop the leek as well.
- Heat up the olive oil in a pan and let the leek and the mushrooms cook for about 10 minutes on medium high heat. In the meantime, prepare the broth in a separate bowl. I’m only using bio vegetable broths without additives.
- When the leek and the mushrooms soften, pour in the broth. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Then wash and finely chop a handful of spinach (every other leafy green is more than welcome, but they’re rather hard to find here in November).
- In a bowl add 4 tablespoons of polenta and gradually add a broth from the soup, while stirring vigorously to prevent it from clumping. Continue until it is completely dissolved and acquires a liquid appearance, then return the thickened broth back to the saucepan with the soup. Now’s the time to add the spinach.
- Flavor with some salt, black pepper and thyme. For the spicy lovers, throw in a little chili pepper flakes. Then add the lemon juice if you like.
- Fry the sliced mushrooms we saved in the beginning in a heated pan with a little olive oil. Serve in bowls, decorated with a few fried mushroom slices and dried thyme leaves.