This soup is a wonderful way to savor the delicious flavor of baby bella mushrooms and, at the same time, benefit from the nutrition they provide! In case you didn’t know, baby bellas are the same variety as white button mushrooms, but are harvested when they’re more mature and have a more developed flavor. The younger, white button mushrooms are essentially bland in flavor and will actually pick up the flavors of other ingredients that surround them.

In addition to their wonderful flavor, baby bellas are a good source of vitamin D and B vitamins. They also contain a decent helping of potassium and phosphorous and small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals, all of which benefit healthy immune and cardiovascular systems, improve bone health, and potentially prevent chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

So, grab ya some bellas and let’s make some soup!

Cream of Mushroom Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1-1/2 pounds of baby bella mushrooms
4 teaspoons chopped thyme divided
1/2 cup Marsala wine
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
1-2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste
1/2-1 teaspoons black cracked pepper adjust to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
Chopped fresh parsley and thyme to serve

Directions:

Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until melted. Sauté onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Cook garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add mushrooms and 2 teaspoons thyme, cook for 5 minutes. Pour in wine and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, mix again and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium heat, season with salt, pepper and crumbled bouillon cubes.

Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, while occasionally stirring, until thickened.

Reduce heat to low, stir in cream or half and half. Allow to gently simmer (do not boil). Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

Mix in parsley and remaining thyme. Serve warm.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In a similar way, followers of Christ can find themselves in different places of “maturations”, not as a result of their physical age or experience, but based on how quickly and passionately they desire to draw closer to and become more like Jesus Christ. To grow in our Christian maturity requires us to change our priorities from pleasing ourselves to pleasing God, and with consistency and perseverance, do things we know will bring us closer to God, such as daily Bible reading, Bible studies, prayer, fellowship with other believers, serving others, and being a good steward with what God has provided to us. As we mature, there is no “blandness” in our walk with Jesus Christ! We become effective and productive as we provide the Body of Christ and the lost all around us with a “nutritious flavor” that spiritually feeds, saves, and nourishes them!

2 Peter 1:5-8 tell us: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And as we mature, we will also spiritually benefit and protect ourselves. Like the “youthful” white button mushrooms, if we remain in an immature, spiritual state, we will not only remain spiritually “bland”, but risk picking up the “flavors” of the things that surround us. If we are not striving to grow in the Lord and surrounding ourselves with seasoned Christians who are helping us to mature, the “flavors” we pick up from worldly people and influences can spiritually sicken and even kill us.

Ephesians 4:13-15 reminds us “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;”

And 2 Peter 3:17-18, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

—Cheri Henderson