This is literally a hug in a bowl; I don't know how else to describe it.
It seems every Slavic nation has some variation of mushroom soup. Among the cookbooks from Slavic nations I have (three Slovenian and two Polish), this dish shows up in both Slovenian and Polish iterations, with some key differences. For instance, the Polish Christmas version of mushroom soup includes dill and carrot and what-have-you, whereas the version we're making today—a Slovenian version—has either buckwheat or potatoes in it.
We're going for this version because it's so comforting, hearty, delicious, and best of all, perfectly magical for this time of year. As you might know, mushrooms are symbols of all things death and decay, given that's where they grow: on the dying things. But in growing on the dying things, they also make way for new things: the trees they break down become rich fertilizer for the plants of next spring, soft and mulchy, and the part we eat, the fruiting body, releases countless spores to drift away and hide for the next season. They're nature's recyclers, and without them, we wouldn't be able to get rid of all the bulky organic matter that dies every year. That's why they're the focus of our dish today, along with buckwheat, onion, and oregano.
(Technically, my recipe called for marjoram, but oregano and marjoram honestly have nearly the same look and flavor profile, as well as similar magical uses, so it's fine. Use what you have. Also, if you can't find buckwheat, a good substitute is diced and peeled potato!)
If you follow me on Tiktok, you might've remembered when I mentioned a certain buckwheat porridge that I love. This is like a soup version of that, and it is beautiful for cold winter nights, especially if you eat it with a few boiled eggs added in. Let's get into it and see what we can do.
Magic in Yuletide Mushroom Soup
Portobella mushrooms especially, according to Shawn Engel's Mushroom Magic, are ones that can represent the "crone" part of a Maiden/Mother/Crone archetypal group: a position all about the ending stages, about wisdom and tradition and winter and darkness. Given we're coming up on Yule, these themes are perfect to help us observe this part of the life cycle: the time when things die, the darkness, the point in the world's rhythm where things go to sleep and promise to wake up in the spring.
Combine that with buckwheat, a grain, and you have the start of a beautiful combination: the death of the old, and the promise of the wealth, fertility, and abundance of the new. Supporting forces like onion, good for banishing the old and exorcising evil away, and oregano, good for fostering love and joy, give your meal a thematic focus to go along with these powerful Mushroom/Grain energies you're stirring into your soup.
Present here is predominantly Venus with a touch of Mars and the Moon, as well as the elemental energies of earth, water, and fire. It's a blend that'll help you fall deeply into yourself, inspecting the pieces of who you are and healing the ones you want to grow while exorcising the ones you want to lay to rest. It'll also help you keep grounded and keep your inner fire stoked as you get ready for another trip around the sun. Perfect for getting your Yuletide spirit going!
Yuletide Mushroom Soup
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
16oz portobello mushrooms
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
100g buckwheat
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp parsley
1 chicken bouillon
4-5 cups of water
1 Tbsp Greek yogurt/sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste
(Optional) 3 Tbsp butter & 3 Tbsp flour
Directions:
Dice and fry your onions until translucent.
Mince and fry garlic until fragrant.
Wash, slice, and cook mushrooms until water begins to release.
Add bouillon, oregano, and water, then bring to a simmer.
After soup is simmering, add buckwheat and cook for 20min.
(Optional) towards the last 5min, add a mix of melted butter and flour, stirring to combine until all flour/butter is dissolved.
Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream while still hot.
I honestly think the only thing more classically comforting than a recipe like this is chicken noodle soup. The saltiness, the earthiness, the heartiness of this soup will keep you well and warm all the way through to the new year. It's a great recipe to have on hand as you reflect on 2023 and get ready for 2024. Try it out! ♥
Other Recipes You May Like:
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.
Comments