Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods. According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, 'Mushrooms' are the Queen of Immunity, and stand for the "M" in his famous G-BOMBS acronym........the healthiest foods: Greens, Beans, Onion, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds & Nuts!

A Chinese study showed that women who ate about 1 mushroom/daily had a 64% decrease risk of breast cancer. Drink green tea with the mushrooms and protection rises to 89% for premenopausal women and 82% for postmenopause. Mushrooms contain aromatase inhibitors; those are compounds that block the production of estrogen. Mushrooms should be eaten cooked. In their raw state they contain a substance called agaritine, a potentially carcinogenic substance. Cooking reduces agaritine content.

This recipe has been adapted from Cathy Fisher's website: www.straightupfood.com
Ingredients:

Small amount of water for sauteing veggies
1 large cooking onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms (white or cremini), sliced thinly
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tsps dried basil
2 tsps dried oregano
2 tsps dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup water
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer unsweetened almond milk in my soups and baked goods)

In a little amount of water, saute the onion about 2 minutes until soft. Add more water, as needed, to prevent sticking. Add the 4 cups of water, the initial 1/2 lb of sliced mushrooms, potatoes (both white and sweet), the celery, herbs and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are well cooked.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup ingredients till well combined and pureed. Add another cup of water to the mix. (If you don't have an immersion blender, ladle soup into food processor and blend. Then return soup to soup pot.)
Add the remaining 1 lb of sliced mushrooms to the pot and cook on low for about 20 minutes. Stir in the non-dairy milk when done, and taste for seasonings.