Lion's Mane mushrooms are a terrific substitute for chicken in this traditional-style soup—it's hard to tell there's not chicken in this soup! No Lion's Mane mushrooms? No worries. You can use shredded oyster mushroom stems and caps, chopped button or portobello mushrooms, tofu, chickpeas, or cauliflower instead.
Shred the lion's mane mushroom into large chicken-like pieces (Note, the pieces shrink when cooking, so don't make them too small). Set aside.
Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water or vegetable stock if things start to stick. Add the garlic and shredded mushroom and cook another 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked. Add a splash of water or stock if the garlic starts to stick.
Add the 7 cups water or stock and stir to release anything stuck to the bottom of the pan. Set aside the pasta pack of 1 Copy Cat Manischewitz Vegetable Soup Mix and add the Grain and Bean Mix and Spice Mixture to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer with lid on about 1½ to 2 hours until the beans and barley are tender.
Add reserved pasta and kale, and cook until pasta is tender. Season to taste and serve.
Instant Pot Instructions
Prepare mushrooms as directed. Heat electric pressure cooker on Sauté setting. When hot, add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water or vegetable stock if things start to stick. Add the garlic and shredded mushroom and cook another 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked. Add a splash of water or stock if the garlic starts to stick.
Add the 7 cups water or stock and stir to release anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Set aside the pasta pack of 1 Copy Cat Manischewitz Vegetable Soup Mix and add the Grain and Bean Mix and Spice Mixture to the pot. Stir to combine. Set pressure cooker to High Pressure for 30 minutes and do a Natural Pressure Release when complete.
Remove lid when pressure released and heat electric pressure cooker on Sauté setting. Add reserved pasta and kale, and cook, uncovered, until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
Mushroom substitutions:
Tofu. Recommend using firm tofu that's been frozen and thawed as it makes a chewy, meaty texture that's a great chicken substitute in soup. Simply squeeze all of the liquid out of the thawed tofu and crumble into desired-sized pieces and use in place of the Lion's Mane mushrooms.
Cauliflower florets
Chickpeas
Soy Curls. Rehydrate them per package directions and use in place of the mushrooms.