Plant-Based Mushroom and Kale Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more to taste
• 2 russet potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, diced, or more to taste
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 ½ (32 fluid ounce) containers vegetable broth
• 2 (8 ounce) packages sliced mushrooms, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chopped kale

Step 1

Warm some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, and cook them for about 3 to 5 minutes until everything smells nice and starts to soften. Next, pour in the broth along with one package of mushrooms, a pinch of salt, herbes de Provence, pepper, and a bay leaf. Let it all simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, which should take around 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2

While that’s cooking, put the kale in a separate pot with enough water to cover it and simmer on low heat until it’s tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain off any extra water once it’s done.

Step 3

Take the second package of mushrooms and give them a rough chop. Then, working in batches, add the cooked vegetables and broth to a blender—fill it about halfway each time. Hold the lid down with a towel or pot holder (it can get a bit steamy) and pulse a few times before blending until smooth. Pour each batch back into a pot as you go.

Step 4

Once all the soup is blended and back in the pot, stir in the cooked kale and chopped mushrooms. Let everything simmer together for another 5 to 10 minutes, just until the mushrooms are tender. Then you’re ready to serve!