Mushroom and Black Bean Soup

• Shiitake mushrooms give this soup a lovely chewy texture, along with cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
• Leeks, garlic and seaweed are also powerful cancer-fighters.
• Black beans are rich in resistant starch – perfect for diabetics and those who need to lose weight!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced 1 cm thick
200 ml water
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
4 cups water
4 medium zucchinis, trimmed and diced
250 g mushrooms, sliced
100 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
600 g cooked black beans
2 tbsp wakame seaweed (optional)
1 tbsp Dr Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
100 g baby spinach
2 tbsp roasted red peppers, diced
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

Method:

Place garlic and leeks in a large saucepan with 200 ml water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile blend carrots and celery with 4 cups water, until smooth. Pour into saucepan, add zucchini, mushrooms, black beans, wakame and seasonings. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Transfer half of soup to blender and purée. Return puréed soup to saucepan and reheat gently. Stir in spinach and roasted red peppers. Serve garnished with parsley.