A simple throw-together creamy mushroom bisque

Serves 2

What you’ll need

200g Chestnut mushrooms chopped

½ brown onion chopped

1tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp coarse black pepper

Pinch of salt

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 vegetarian stockpot (I used Knorr gluten free)

50ml oat cream

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

100 plum tomatoes halved

1tbsp vegan cream cheese

100ml white wine

200ml hot water

Method

1.       Take your mushrooms and onion and fry them off for a few minutes, stirring regularly

2.       Add your smoked paprika, pepper, and salt and stir

3.       Add stock pot, cream, balsamic vinegar, cream cheese, tomatoes, white wine, and hot water

4.       Turn the heat down slightly and leave to simmer for 10 minutes covered

Mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin D. Vitamin D has a very important function in the body. Not only does it help our bones and teeth as it assists the body in calcium absorption, a lack of vitamin D has been linked to depression as it can play an important role in regulating mood. While a lack of Vitamin D can lead to fatigue, low mood, and aches and pains which are synonymous to depression symptoms, increasing vitamin D intake does not cure depression.

Other symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency include hair loss, slow healing wounds and a compromised immune system. Alternative sources of vitamin D are egg yolks, oily fish, red meat, or fortified foods if you’re following a vegan or vegetarian diet. However, at the very top of that list is sunlight. Getting out in the sun is the best way to meet your daily intake. With lighter skin you only need around 15 minutes, but for darker skin it’s more difficult to penetrate the skin and you’ll find that you need to be out in the sun for a couple of hours, in order to meet your needs. So people with darker pigmentation are at more risk of a vitamin D deficiency.

Further people more likely to suffer with a vitamin D deficiency are people who tend to be covered from head to toe for a number of reasons and thus their skin only gets filtered exposure, someone working in an office all day, and anyone unable to venture outside often. For this reason, it is important to incorporate vitamin D into your diet.

Another way to ensure you get enough vitamin D is via a supplement. Speak to your GP or another practitioner before you consider investing in vitamin D supplements. It is recommended to take vitamin D supplements prior to winter. This is because of the lack of natural sunlight throughout winter, making our levels plummet. A vitamin D supplement will take roughly two to three months to begin to take effect, so mid-September is about the optimal time.

***If you are thinking about a major diet change, please consult your GP first and do your research***

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