If you’re not already eating edible medicinal mushrooms, it would be a good idea to start. Especially, if your immune system is down or you’re struggling with blood sugar imbalances, high blood pressure, and/or cancer.
There’s a wealth of scientific data linking mushrooms to a host of benefits for good health:
- Shitake Mushrooms contain a compound called lentinan. In clinical studies patients using shitake mushrooms have shown higher survival rates and lower recurrence of cancer.[1]
- Maitake Mushrooms have anticancer, antiviral, and immune-system enhancing effects and may also help control both high blood pressure and blood sugar levels.[2]
I’m using both of these medicinal mushrooms in this delicious and health supportive soup.
Use the recipe below to start cooking up better health!
- 7-8 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups water
- ½ cup dried maitake mushrooms (¼ oz), soaked in 2 cups water
- 3 inches alaria seaweed (or wakame), soaked and chopped
- ¼ cup burdock root, thin diagonals
- ½ cup daikon root, half moons
- 1 tbsp. ginger, minced
- 6 oz tofu cubed (or other protein)
- 1/4 cup enoki mushrooms (or other mushrooms)
- 1-2 leaves bok choy chopped
- 4 tbsp. sweet white miso
- 2-3 scallions, chopped
Strain the water from the mushrooms and add additional water to get 4 cups total liquid. Put the liquid into a soup pot and turn the heat high. Chop the shitake and maitake mushrooms and add to the pot, with alaria and burdock root, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add daikon root, ginger and tofu, and cook 2-3 minutes. Add enoki mushrooms and bok choy. Put miso paste into a bowl and add hot liquid from the soup to liquefy the miso. Add the miso to the soup and shut off the heat. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Garnish with minced scallions.
[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nalini-chilkov/cancer-foods_b_1192207.html
[2] http://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/nutrition/mushrooms-for-good-health/
