Turkey Tail Mushroom Soup Recipe

Audrey Ferguson |  Updated on: September 20, 2023

Turkey tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) is a strikingly beautiful fungus. But its appeal doesn't stop at its aesthetic beauty. Turkey tail is a fantastic mushroom to use as a supplement, with its primary benefit being immune system support.

This mushroom is loaded with antioxidants, which can help prevent the oxidative stress that comes with age. High levels of continued oxidative stress can lead to chronic inflammation and damage, which is why antioxidants are so crucial to prevent that from happening. Turkey tail contains phenols and flavonoids, alongside other antioxidants.

Alongside this, there are also polysaccharopeptides and beta glucan compounds, including krestin (PSK) and polysaccharide peptide (PSP), both of which are beneficial for the immune system.

In general, turkey tail mushrooms can support overall health and wellbeing. Although the earthy flavor of turkey tail is not for everyone, it has become popular as a mushroom supplement. Many people consume it in the form of capsules or powder to promote wellbeing on a daily basis.

That said, it's possible to mask the flavor of turkey tail by covering it with other mushrooms, such as those you find in a supermarket. Read on to learn how to prepare turkey tail mushroom in this delicious, immune-boosting soup. Plus, there are tips for cooking with both raw turkey tail and its powdered form.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Soup Preparation Tips

Making this turkey tail mushroom soup is incredibly easy. All you need is a collection of vegetables, vegetable broth, and turkey tail.

While it is possible to find turkey tail in the USA, it is not necessarily easy. It thrives year-round on dead tree stumps and downed hardwood trunks. However, foraging wild mushrooms can be dangerous and is not recommended for novices.

It's more challenging to locate raw or dried turkey tail in supermarkets. You may come across them in health food stores, but they can be expensive. As a result, many users resort to capsules or powders when consuming medicinal mushrooms like turkey tail. Our turkey tail mushroom soup recipe can be made using both powder and raw mushrooms.

Here are some more tips:

• Prepare the vegetable broth in advance. You can use store-bought stock or make your own using the discarded bits of vegetables from other meals you make.
• Prep all the ingredients first, as the cooking moves pretty fast.
• You can use any mushrooms you want for the bulk of the soup. Shiitake, closed-up, or chestnut mushrooms all work very well.
• Use a very large pot to ensure that the soup never boils over.
• If you don't want it to be vegan or if you have a nut allergy, swap out the cashews for regular cream and leave the potato in chunks.

Check out the section on preparation below for more tips if you're using raw turkey tail mushrooms or skip ahead if using powder.

How to Prepare Turkey Tail Mushrooms

When cooking with turkey tail mushrooms, many users prefer to use powders. Raw mushrooms can have a leathery, tough texture that doesn't lend itself well to cuisine. Not only do the powders provide a better texture, but they also don't have as pungent a taste.

If you're lucky enough to have whole turkey tail mushrooms on hand, it's pretty easy to prepare them. To begin, thoroughly wash the mushrooms. Then, chop them into rough chunks.

For this turkey tail mushroom soup recipe, all you need to do is add the mushroom chunks to the stock while it cooks. At the end, remove them with a slotted spoon or strain them out. Their toughness is not pleasant to eat, so make sure to remove all the chunks you added.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 10oz mushrooms of choice, sliced
• 2 tbsp turkey tail powder (you can also use our capsules) or 1 cup fresh turkey tail, chopped
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped (leave the skin on for extra fiber)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into halves
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Few sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp rosemary, fresh or dried
• ¼ cup cashews
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Dash of olive oil, for cooking

Instructions

1. Add a few glugs of high-quality olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant – about 5 minutes. Add in the sliced mushroom and cook for another four minutes until soft and all the vegetables are browning.
2. Stir in the minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.
3. Add the carrots, celery, and potato, along with the thyme and rosemary. Allow the vegetables to cook for about a minute, then add the turkey tail powder (if using our capsules, open them up and add the powder, composting the casing) and vegetable stock. Stir in the soy sauce and then season the soup with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the pot to bubble away for 20-30 minutes, or until the potato is fork tender.
5. Remove the potato from the soup and add to a high-powered blender. Then, add the cashews and enough liquid to make the blender work. Whiz into a creamy consistency, then return to the soup pot. Taste it (careful, it's hot) and season to the desired flavor.
6. Remove the soup pot from the heat and divide it between bowls, or allow to cool then store in the fridge. Serve with crusty bread.

Final Thoughts About Turkey Tail Mushroom Soup Recipe

Turkey tail soup is really straightforward to make. Although the cooking time is relatively long, the prep is super quick and easy.

Not only is this soup loaded with the benefits of turkey tail mushrooms, but it also contains the nutrients and benefits of all the healthy veggies. And with the vegan cream substitute, it's also low in saturated fats.

Have you tried our turkey tail mushroom soup recipe? Let us know how it turned out in the comments. But if you want an easier way to take turkey tail every day, check out our mushroom supplement capsules and start your journey to a healthier life today.