Eating Clean - Mushroom Soup

Eating clean seems to be relative – I guess it all depends what you want to get away from. For our family, the focus is on lowering cholesterol, cancer prevention and avoiding Type II diabetes. When you eat for these purposes, you also lose weight, because of course you are eating healthier.
I found several “eat clean” websites, but was surprised to see whole grain wheat flour being used (gluten) and soy milk in recipes. Besides the estrogenic properties of soy, unless organic and certified non-GMO, the seeds of soybeans are impregnated with Round Up herbicide so as to resist Round Up effects when the soybean fields are sprayed. Soybeans also take up more trace metals from the ground than any other plant in the plant kingdom. These are three very good reasons to avoid soy – I am not sure which bothers me more, the estrogenic properties that are thought to contribute to a lot of infertility problems and miscarriages in today’s “health conscience” society as young women think they are making a healthy choice, or the fact that we are consuming traces of herbicide when we eat unfermented soy products, such as milk. Although my family does not have allergies to either gluten or soy, the first we have cut back on in our eating as much as 80%, and the latter 100% (reading labels as soybean oil is in a LOT of foods, including gluten free crackers). We have become a very healthy family since we started reading labels and mostly whole foods.
Several times a year my husband and I do a full body detoxification by eliminating all allergenic foods for various periods of time – these include wheat/gluten (this includes oats, buckwheat, barley), dairy, soy, vinegar (which can cause fermentation in the gut), caffeine and sugar. The main focus is to cleanse the liver so it can do its job of removing toxins, that we expose ourselves to daily, from our body. A healthy liver is able to help the body lose weight, and necessary for successful weight loss. It’s a great way to start the new year, and on this day 19 I have lost 10.5 lbs. so far.
Today’s recipe idea is what I call a CLEAN mushroom soup, made with almond milk, and gluten free. Portabellas were used, but the more affordable white button mushroom can be substituted. Recent findings show that white button mushrooms contain an enzyme that helps inhibit aromatase activity, and subsequently estrogen production. Therefore, white button mushrooms can help reduce the risk of breast and prostrate cancer.
We are personal fans of the more flavorful portabella mushrooms. One medium portabella mushroom has even more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice. One serving of mushrooms also provides about 20 to 40 percent of the daily value of copper, a mineral that has cardio-protective properties.Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Male health professionals who consumed twice the recommended daily intake of selenium cut their risk of prostate cancer by 65 percent.
So how about some mushroom soup? I have to say that a number of years ago there was a restaurant in the area called Morels. Their wild mushroom soup was famous, and as I enjoyed the soup I am sharing today, it reminded me of that particular soup – I do believe the almond milk made for one of the best mushroom soups I have tasted to date.
Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock, homemade is most flavorful (vegetarian soup stock is fine)
20 oz. Portabella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 medium onion
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
3 c. + 3 T. Silk plain almond milk
4 T. almond flour
Himalayan sea salt

Saute chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add to chicken stock placed in a large soup kettle.
Slice mushrooms, using either a knife or an egg slicer, add to stock.
Add in 3 cups of plain almond milk.
Make a slurry in a small bowl by adding 1 T. almond milk in a small bowl, adding in almond flour; alternate between almond milk and almond flour until blended. Slowly stir into soup. Continue stirring. Heat through and serve.

Suggested Sides:
Saute’d chicken bites with onion and garlic
Gaucamole with chopped fresh tomato
Brown rice/vegetable pilaf

I want to point out that Himalayan sea salt is superior in health benefits, to white, processed table OR SEA salt. Look for salt that is pinkish in color as opposed to white. It has more flavor and lesss is needed. Also, we use SILK brand almond milk as it does not contain soy milk mixed in. If you want a thicker, more creamy soup use brown rice flour rather than the almond flower, as it does make a better slurry to add into your soup.

To your health!
Rita S.