This vegan soup offers a beautiful balance of flavors with earthy lotus root, sweet carrots and jujubes dates, warming ginger and savory mushrooms and peanuts. Soups like this one are a staple on many Chinese family’s dinner tables not only because they’re light and delicious but also because their ingredients are believed to have healing properties. According to traditional Chinese medicine, a soup’s botanical ingredients, broadly known as “herbs,” are thought to help with everything from calming inflammation to improving vision to boosting energy. Regardless of health claims, it’s certain that each plays a role in making this soup comforting and refreshing, with eye-catching wedges of lotus root as the star. Although most recipes for lotus soup contain pork ribs we made this one vegan, using shiitake mushrooms to give the broth depth of flavor instead. Many of the ingredients require soaking, so be sure to start the process either the night before or in the morning so that you can have this nourishing hot soup ready by dinner.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 10 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 medium (about 1 ounce) dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons raw peanuts
- 2 tablespoons dried black beans
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium segment (about 9 ounces) lotus root
- 1 tablespoon goji berries
- 4 dried jujube dates
- One 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
- 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorn
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms and place them in enough water to cover in an airtight container. Place them in the refrigerator to soak 8 hours or overnight. Once soaked, squeeze the mushrooms to remove water, trim off the stems, cut the caps in half and set them aside. Measure the mushroom soaking liquid and add enough cold water to make 10 cups.
- Place the raw peanuts and black beans in a medium bowl filled with cold water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to soak until the legumes are plump, at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain the legumes and set aside. Discard the soaking liquid.
- Cut the potato in half, and then slice it into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Peel and trim the carrot and cut it diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- Peel the lotus root and cut the two dried ends off. Cut the lotus root in half and then make 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Soak the goji berries in a small bowl until plump, about 10 minutes. Strain and discard the soaking liquid. Set aside.
- Place the soaked peanuts and black beans, shiitake mushrooms, potato, carrot, lotus root, jujubes, sliced ginger, white peppercorns and the reserved 10 cups mushroom soaking liquid in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the soup simmers. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently until the peanuts are tender, at least 2 hours; stir in the goji berries about 30 minutes before the soup is done.
- Season the soup with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls making sure each has some lotus root.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 198 |
| Total Fat | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 37 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 309 mg |