Brussels Sprouts and Shiitake Mushrooms

Another day and another soup for me.  Why so much soup?  Well, I really like soup.  I also really like to have all in one dishes.  I find soups in a can to be dreadful and never eat them.  Why bother when you can make a fresh pot in a short time with far less sodium and no preservatives.  So in order to get my soup fix, I need to make them myself.

When I found this recipe on fatfreevegan.com..I was all over it.  Brussels sprouts and Shiitake mushrooms are two of my favorite foods..together they are unbelievable!  Unlike the blogger on fatfreevegan, I did not have shiitake mushrooms growing at the base of a tree in my yard and they are not readily available at local markets.  I was, however, able to find the next best thing to local...call it "close enough" food..mushrooms from Pennsylvania (still better than sitting in a truck driving cross country).  The brussels sprouts and leek were from the Central Farmers Market, so overall still a very local dish.

3 main ingredients

The amount of nutrients in the little bowl of soup is rather outstanding...fiber, protein, B vitamins, omega-3s, Vitamins K, C, and A, iron and folate...just to name a few.  It was filling, insanely healthy and fantastically delicious!  Whoever said eating healthy is boring..well clearly is not reading this blog..

Brussels Sprouts and Shiitake Soup
adapted from blog.fatfreevegan.com

~1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms
6-7 brussels sprouts
1 leek
6-7 cups of water
1/2 beans..any will do
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Brown rice medley (or reg old brown rice)
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp thyme
salt/pepper to taste

I started cooking the rice and the beans separately because they both take a while and I did not want to delay the soup.  I started those and cooked both until they were about 10 minutes from being done.  It would be a super fast recipe if you cook the rice and beans in bulk prior and can just throw them in the pot...preparation is a huge part of healthy eating!

So while those pots were on the burners I collected and chopped the rest of the ingredients.
Add chopped leeks to non-stick pan and saute for a few minutes.  Add chopped brussels sprouts and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and spices.  Blend together and then add water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat letting all the ingredients cook together covered for about 30 minutes.  Add the rice and beans and let cook for another 10 minutes.  Add the salt and pepper to your liking and yummy soup is yours for the taking!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Be healthy and happy.
~L