Chatting Mushroom, Black Bean, Celery Soup and More with Margaret Roach
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By the end of last winter, I found myself making the same three soups — lentil, cabbage, tomato — over and over and over again.
I promised myself then I would, upon next soup season, branch out—that I’d dip my toe in unchartered broths and brews before falling back to my reliable staples.
And I’m so glad I did because I’ve discovered some new favorites: an utterly simple cream of celery soup brightened by a toasted walnut-currant salsa; a classic cumin-and-garlic seasoned black bean soup scented with orange zest; a light and lemony broccoli soup unlike any other I’ve tasted; and an especially mushroom-y mushroom soup thanks to the inclusion of dried mushrooms, an ingredient that too often, irrationally, deters me from the get-go.
I’ve discussed all of these discoveries with my friend (and brilliant master gardener) Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden. Besides recipes, we talked about soaking and brining beans and when this step can be skipped; about stock and if it’s really necessary; about how we can change up the texture of a soup to suit our preferences; and about those extra ingredients that can make all the difference: heaps of fresh dill with mushrooms, orange rind with black beans, and other such flavor surprises.
UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. Winner is Anne Schafer. I’ve emailed you. We’re each giving away a copy of our favorite soup cookbook, Anna Thomas’s Love Soup. Enter by leaving a comment below (US residents only); enter again over on Margaret’s site.
Read along or listen to the podcast right here.
PS: Chatting Soups with Margaret Roach, Volume 1
PPS: ALL the Soups Right Here: Soup
Balthazar Cream of Mushroom Soup via Smitten Kitchen:
This time of year, I always order another case of quart containers. These are the absolute best for freezing soups and stocks as well as for gifting soup to friends.
When I am very organized, I make a double batch of this vegetable stock and freeze it to have on hand as needed. Otherwise, I use water without thinking twice—well-salted water is a perfectly fine substitute for stock.
So often, soups, puréed or otherwise, are not so pleasing to the eye. And while looks aren’t everything …
… a garnish helps. For fun, I sautéed some king and hen of the wood mushrooms to liven up the creaminess.
And after hearing Margaret talk about Mrs. Kostrya’s Polish mushroom soup with lots of fresh dill …
… I had to give it a whirl.
No regrets. Get the recipe here: Balthazar Cream of Mushroom Soup.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
259 Comments on “Chatting Mushroom, Black Bean, Celery Soup and More with Margaret Roach”
I can make good lentil and split pea soup but I really want to know how to do more!
I love vegetable soup with what I have at the time plus tomato sauce from the garden, but I learned a lot from this blog.
I would love to win a copy of the soup cookbook! I make soups frequently and freeze them in individual containers. My go to soups are chicken based but I would love to get into bean soups.
My friend Mel and I had made up a sweet potato coconut soup that I still love and made to this date. We were poor college students then, so a lot of ingredients were canned and artificial, but I’ve since made them from fresh ingredients and it was delightful!!!!
My go to soup is my mother-in-law’schicken noodle soup with a small portion of cinnamon stick added with the pepper and salt as a seasoning.
The soups sound delicious! The addition of complimentary garnish is intriguing.
Chicken soup is my “go to” soup. I plan on trying to find a savory mushroom soup this year!
Love your recipes!
Its definitely soup season and would love to win a copy of the book. Thanks for the chance.
Planning on trying the cream of celery!
Soup is the tastiest and smartest food I can think of. The flavors can be amazing, it’s healthy and inexpensive, a full pot can feed us for days, the house stays warm on a soup-making day. Hot soup helps make winter in western New York a good thing.
Love your soups! Celery? Yum! Would appreciate a copy of this book. Thanks!
I have soup every day for lunch this time of year- the heartier the better! Would love some new ideas!
The mushroom soup sounds great
Please count me in.
My 2 soups: Hearty Lentil and my mother’s (from Calabria, Italy) Pasta Fagioli. Love all soup!
oven roasted tomato soup is my favorite!
Loving soup weather!!!! Although, I tend to eat it all year round…no natter how hot it gets. ????
I make a lot of bone broth and make a version of chicken soup w it. I also make a lot of pumpkin soup, because I grow a lot of pumpkins. I’m always in search of t perfect clam chowder, and at t moment, my favorite is from the island inn over on Monhegan island.
I would love to give this book to my dad for Christmas. He is a soup aficionado!
I am a senior citizen and I became a vegetarian last January. I could live on soups and salads. My soups need to go to the next level. I really enjoyed the interview and would dearly love to win a cookbook. Please pick me.
My favourite soup to date is a veggie soup but I would love to get good at black bean and understanding toppings and getting better flavour in my soup.
I am always looking for a new, delicious soup recipe. I love using the herbs from my garden and surprising my family with a new favorite. I hope I win this give-away.
What an informative interview with Margaret Roach. Need to read it again & take notes. Going to make a broccoli soup from Deborah Madidon’s soup cookbook, my go to book for soups. I often make the same cabbage soup over and over too. Count me in for your giveaway.
Count me in, really enjoyed the podcast.
I’ve already printed the celery soup recipe, and the mushroom soup sounds really good too. Thanks for sharing! Lately, my go to has been my Italian Mom’s zucchini soup, but with the tromboncino we grow instead.
I LOVE soup! This cookbook sounds wonderful. Thank you for a chance to win it.
My longtime go-to favorite soup is Julie Jordan’s ‘Tomato Bisque’, from her Cabbagetown Café Cookbook. I’m looking forward to trying Anna Thomas’s Sage-Greens-Sweet Potato soup after I finish my sweet potato harvest. I’m going to make a batch of the Balthazar Cream of Mushroom Soup for my mushroom loving niece for when she comes home from college for Thanksgiving break ( I bribe her with food to keep my “favorite aunt” status). Great podcast!
I feel the need to make soup these days. I’d love to win the book,
Looking forward to trying the celery and mushroom soups
Soups are my favorite because they are delicious and also easy to digest.
My all time favourite just may be Gypsy Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook. Still as delicious today as it was when the recipe was published more than 40 years ago!
I love the way soups enable me to consume larger amounts of vegetables in a delicious way!