Vitamin D-Licious: My Minestrone Soup Recipe

When Jenn and I attended the Dole Healthy Blogger’s Summit back in November, we were lucky enough to each go home with the Portobello Mushroom Powder that Kelsey was gushing over. We were lucky because this new product by Dole is one of the newest, snazziest ways one can load up on vitamin D, especially if you’re vegan. (Did you know that many vitamin D pills are wool-based? Dole’s mushroom powder is pure-portobello goodness.)

And how they get so much vitamin D in the portobello mushrooms is a little magical. Dole basically pulses yummy, vitamin-D-rich light over portobello mushrooms and then grinds them into a fine powder that gives us the good stuff we need. Pretty cool, right?

Since learning that, I’ve been sprinkling the powder onto everything: grilled pineapples, cauliflower, smoothies…you name it. The mushroom powder is basically tasteless, so the food-adding possibilities are limitless. (Well, unless you sprinkle it in hot coffee or tea. I heard from the mushroom-powder experts that it tends to clump up in really hot beverages.)

Another dish the mushroom powder is fab in? Soup! Check out my minestrone soup recipe below for a tasty and healthy way to get your vitamin D. I make this stuff all the time and just had to share!

Minestrone Soup (With Mushroom Powder!)

Since it’s getting colder out, I thought I’d share one of my favorite soup recipes that I added some of the powder to.

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 1/2 c green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 28 oz can no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
48 oz low-sodium chicken broth
1 15 oz  can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c elbow pasta (or small shells)
2 small Yukon potatoes, diced
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
chopped fresh basil for garnish
1 tsp Dole Portobello Mushroom Powder

Directions
1. Heat the EVOO in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about four minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about five minutes.

2. Stir in green beans, oregano, dried basil, and salt and pepper to taste; cook three more minutes. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the kidney beans, pasta and potatoes and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender; about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve with Parmesan cheese,  chopped basil and the mushroom powder!

Trust me, it’s vitamin D-licious! How do you go about getting enough vitamin D in your diet? Will you try mushroom powder? Make my minestrone soup recipe? C’mon, let’s chat about it all in the comments! —Tish