Now that it’s May, the clock is ticking to visit 32 new places by Dec. 31, 2021. And I’m off to a good start!
On Saturday, a friend and I drove to Berkeley to check out Casa Barotti, the Bay Area’s first neighborhood spizzicheria and one of many establishments on my “Places to Eat” list. We ordered an assortment of pizza al trancio (parmigiana, verdure, cotto e funghi and San Daniele), a slice of rossa focaccia and two panini (mortadella and porchetta). Everything was delicious.
But that’s not the only tasty fare I enjoyed over the weekend. On Sunday, I prepared this vegan creamy mushroom soup with garlic and thyme oil – and have been downing a bowl for dinner ever since. It explodes with flavor, thanks to the addition of four kinds of fungi, onion, shallots and white wine. And puréed cashews and Aeden country miso give incredible body and depth to the dairy-free dish. In essence, vegan creamy mushroom soup is perfection.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound mushrooms, cut into large pieces (see notes)
- 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- kosher salt, to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons red or white miso
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a small sauce pan, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt to taste.
- In a small sauce pan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat, add cashews, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Heat 2 cups water until hot - about 2 minutes in the microwave should do. Add dried porcini mushrooms to water and set a small bowl on top of the mushrooms to keep them submerged; let stand until they are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms from liquid and chop; reserve soaking liquid.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and toss to coat. Cook, without stirring, until the mushrooms start to brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Stir mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- In the same pot, add onion and shallots, season with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add wine and simmer until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Add prepared mushrooms, chopped porcini mushrooms and reserved porcini mushroom soaking liquid, and 3 cups water and bring to a simmer.
- Transfer about 2 cups of vegetables and liquid from pot to bowl with cashews, add miso and purée until smooth; return to pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with garlic and thyme oil.
