Summer Squash and Oyster Mushroom Soup

A lovely and light cream soup with no dairy products. Also good for sneaking beans into the diet of people who think they don't like beans.

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 c. vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 6-8 oz. oyster mushrooms, separated and left whole
  • 2 lb. yellow squash, thickly sliced
  • 2 c. soymilk
  • 1 15oz. can beans, drained (use mild-flavored, soft-skinned beans such as pintos or great northerns)
  • 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the onion, garlic and celery in the oil until the onion is soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the broth, seasonings, mushrooms and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

In a blender, pureé the soymilk and beans with two cups of the soup (including vegetables). Pour the pureé back into the pot, add the optional parsley, and heat gently (do not boil!) until the soup is hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with crusty bread or crostini.

4 servings

Per serving: 270 calories; 13g protein; 6g fat; 39g carbohydrate; 0mg cholesterol

Source: original recipe, 1 Nov 2003

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