If a recipe calls for mushroom stalks to be removed, take the time to think whether that’s a strictly necessary step and, if possible, ignore the instruction and leave them on, to save both time and waste. The cap and stalk are essentially one and the same thing; both are equally nutritious and delicious, and both can be used in everything from duxelles to soup.
The stalks can perish quicker than the caps, however, so I might remove them if serving a raw mushroom salad, say, and dice and fry them with garlic to enjoy as a snack, or use them up in a soup, as in today’s recipe. The stalks from some species, such as shiitake, also toughen with age, so if yours are fibrous, finely dice them and incorporate into a blended dish.
Vegan creamy mushroom stem, white bean and tahini soup
The mushroom stems, beans and tahini come together to create a wonderful, velvety texture without the need for any dairy or the mushroom caps. Soup is the ultimate fast food: nutritious, tasty and very quick to make. I avoid stock cubes, because they often include artificial preservatives and flavourings that taint the true flavour of the other ingredients. But I don’t usually have the time to make stock from scratch at home, either. Controversially, perhaps, I don’t think stock is necessary to make soup at all. Yes, it can add depth, but it also takes too much time, slows down the cooking process and can sometimes muddle the simple flavours of quality ingredients.
I often use beans to bulk out a soup and fortify it with nutrients; they also help turn a soup extra creamy, without the need for potatoes, dairy or ultra-processed plant-based alternatives. The bean cooking liquid, or aquafaba, acts as a kind-of stock, anyway, and adds flavour and viscosity. The mushroom stems here bring a subtle but rich depth of flavour to proceedings, but if you want to boost the mushroomy notes, a few dried wild mushrooms should do the trick.
Serves 2
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
50g green leek tops, sliced thin
70g mushroom stems (ie, from one punnet )
2 garlic cloves, peeled
5-10g dried wild mushrooms (optional), to taste
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 x 400g tin white beans or peas (cannellini, butter beans or chickpeas)
65g tahini, dark for preference
Sea salt and black pepper
To serve (all optional)
Croutons made with day-old bread
1 pinch sesame seeds or za’atar
Put a good glug of olive oil in a heavy-based pan on a medium heat, then add the onion, green leek tops, mushroom stems, garlic cloves, dried wild mushrooms, if using, and the thyme leaves, and saute gently, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.
Add the tin of beans, including all the liquid, then pour in enough cold water just to cover, bring up to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes.
Stir in the tahini, then blend until smooth, adding extra water, if necessary, to create a thick, creamy texture.
Season to taste and serve topped with optional croutons, sesame seeds or za’atar and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
