Asian Style Mushroom, Rice and Chicken Soup

I must confess that this soup came to be when I looked at the ingredients that happened to be in my fridge and pantry and got to cooking. That being said, planning ahead doesn’t always yield happy results and more often than not, “a little of this and a little of that” is the best way to cook. Definitely the case here, though I’d add scallions if I were you. I didn’t have any. We crushed this soup without lamenting the scallions but they’d go so well so I think you should make sure to buy them, slice them, and add them at the end. Soup, like muffins, are a great starting place for new cooks. You can easily correct mistakes and with enough salt, even “okay” soup is pretty good. I make soup frequently without recipes but they tend towards the “chicken noodle” variety – veggies, fresh herbs, chicken broth and meat of some sort.

This was a fun experiment for me, trying the Asian version. Lime juice, ginger, mushrooms, tamari and Sriracha make it unmistakably “Asian” in flavor but there aren’t any hard to find ingredients like bamboo shoots or lemongrass. It’s gluten and dairy free, which means it’s a perfect give-away meal. So much of the flavor comes from correctly cooking the mushrooms, so please follow those directions carefully – nothing’s worse than a spongy, undercooked mushroom.

I literally couldn’t stop tasting this soup and ate a big bowl way before dinnertime (and then again at dinnertime). Make this soon as the weather cools down and let me know your thoughts!

Asian Style Mushroom, Rice and Chicken Soup

Makes 8-10 servings

1 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil

24 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 white onion, finely diced

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 c. chicken broth

2 c. water

1 1/2 c. shelled frozen edamame

1 1/2 c. cooked brown rice

3 c. cooked and chopped/shredded chicken

Juice of 2 limes

1 tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)

1 tsp. Sriracha

1. Heat oil in pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release liquid and liquid evaporates.

2. Reduce heat to medium low and let cook until mushrooms are brown and tender.

3. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender – about 8 minutes.

4. Add chicken broth and water and turn heat to high – bring mixture to a boil, and then reduce. Simmer for about five minutes.

5. Add edamame, rice, chicken, lime juice, tamari and Sriracha. Taste for seasoning. Serve.