For the love of Seitan

I’m just getting into experimenting a bit with cooking. For most of my cooking life, I have been a strict recipe follower. But having taken a cooking class and having paid attention in the kitchen with my mother in-law, I am slowly learning the fun of no-recipe cooking.

I was craving soup the other day a while back. It was cold and rainy and the end of the week, so I didn’t want to take too long making dinner. I devised this soup while daydreaming about Alice’s broccoli soup and a white bean soup I had at the Ritz Carlton one evening that was flavoured with maple. Both soups were amazing, so last night I thought i’d try a combination and see what happened. It was surprisingly delicious! Good for those cold icky nights when it’s best to just stay indoors in front of a nice fire or watching QI or something.

The next time I make this recipe, I think I’ll try to substitute the maple syrup with 1/4 cup of hot water with rehydrated candycap mushrooms. Same delicious flavor, none of the extra sugar. I’ll let you know how it works out.

2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 shallot, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, destemmed
3/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1 can navy beans, drained
2 can cannelini beans, drained
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the shallot in olive oil on high. When browned, add garlic, rosemary and sage. After about 1 minute, add broccoli and saute until the broccoli turns a bright green. Add maple syrup, cook for another few minutes.

2. Hydrate the mushrooms in the hot water for 5 minutes. Add to the broccoli, and add the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boiling, then turn down heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Blend with a hand mixer. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

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