shaggy mane soup

it’s shaggy mane mushroom season! they’re so common and i never knew they were edible (and tasty) until recently. i read that they don’t sauté well because they’re so fragile and have a high water content, so i decided to make soup.

note: shaggy manes have to be eaten the day you pick them because as they age they turn into yucky black goo. consult a mushroom guide book or search online for identification information. they’re easy to identify, and i’m pretty certain there aren’t any poisonous look-alikes. just don't drink any alcohol within a few hours of eating them because that can cause some freaky symptoms.

these mushrooms supposedly have the texture and a little bit of the taste of fish. that seems accurate to me, but i’m not the best person to assess what is and is not like fish since i haven’t eaten any in eight years. the mushrooms are definitely not fishy in a gross way, so don’t let that turn you off. they really are delicious.

i started with about three cups of water, about a tablespoon of “better than bouillon” vegetable base and one sliced carrot. once that came to a boil i added two handfuls of israeli couscous (pasta would work fine), three leaves of kale (stems removed, cut in strips) and five mushrooms. low boil until the couscous is nice and tender. then i added a handful of fresh parsley and some fresh thyme from the garden.

here’s a weird confession/disclaimer: i feel funny writing any kind of recipe for broth soup because i never learned how to make it. i mean, this type of soup has always come out of a can for me, which is silly because soup is so easy to make...it just seems difficult in my head. i don’t know when exactly to add different things so that all the components of the soup are cooked the right amount at the same time. but i’ve made this basic recipe three times now and it’s worked out every time.