Beet and Mushroom Soup

I was inspired to make this soup by the mushroom stock recipe and notes concerning soup in the Mark Bittman cookbook How To Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Start with a large soup pot.

Add with the mushrooms. You can fry them in rice flour or just put them in water immediately -- enough to cover the bottom of the pot, about a pint.

You can put in spices now. Basil and oregano work (use both or neither). Salt and pepper are necessary. A little fresh ginger works nicely.

Add leaves. Put in the leaves from the beet(s) and red cabbage.

Let simmer.

Cut up the beets. They need to be fried to become sweet. I like to fry them in brown rice syrup, but frying them in sugar works too. If you fried the mushrooms, fry them in the same frying pan.

Add the fried beets to the soup.

Add a little cardamom and tumeric, and add other spices if you like. Cinnamon works nicely. Fresh herbs are great.


Alternate recipe: Powerful Ginger Soup

Cook the same, but a large amount of ginger root, about four inches long and almost an inch thick. This soup is difficult to eat by itself, but becomes a magnificent sauce base.