3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound mushrooms (of your choice), sliced
½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ Tablespoon dry sake or white wine (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4½ cups Basic Vegetable Stock –OR– well-seasoned water
1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
2 tablespoons miso paste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
Lightly coat heated bottom of soup pot with 2 tablespoons olive oil; place over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms with ½ teaspoon sea salt, pepper and 2 cloves crushed garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid forms. Cover; reduce heat to low and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in ½ tablespoon dry sake or white wine if desired; simmer 1 minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pot; reserve. Recoat pot bottom with remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté onion with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the other 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Cover; cook over low heat 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in vegetable stock and oats. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Purée soup with miso in batches in blender or food processor; return to pot. Stir in reserved mushroom mixture; simmer over low heat 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls; garnish each serving with chopped parsley.
Note: Recipe can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat. Do not boil.
From A Banquet of Health, Penny B. Block, PhD