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Nhedzi
Mushroom and peanut butter soup
Nhedzi: Zimbabwean mushroom and peanut butter soup, made with shop-bought mushrooms
When the first summer rains soak the msasa woodlands of Manicaland and Mashonaland, women and children sell bundles of nhedzi on the roadside: large, meaty wild mushrooms that appear for only a few weeks a year. At home they are torn and simmered with onion, tomato and peanut butter into a thick, earthy soup that is ladled over sadza. Wild mushrooms can be deadly look-alikes, so never forage for them without an expert; this recipe uses a mix of chestnut, oyster and shiitake mushrooms from the shop, which give a similar deep, woody flavour and soft-but-chewy bite. Overcrowding the pan is the common slip: the mushrooms stew grey in their own juice instead of browning. Chef's tip: tear the mushrooms by hand rather than slicing them, so the rough edges catch the peanut sauce.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb mixed mushroomschestnut, oyster and shiitake from the shop, torn into large pieces
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ⅞ oz smooth peanut butterunsweetened
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 green chilli (optional)slit lengthways
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pot over a high heat. Add half of 10 ½ oz mixed mushrooms in a single layer and leave them, without stirring, until browned underneath, then turn and colour the other side.
5 minStep 2: Lift them out, add the rest of 1 tbsp sunflower oil and brown the remaining 10 ½ oz mixed mushrooms the same way, then return the first batch to the pot.
5 minStep 3: Turn the heat to medium, add 1 onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent.
4 minStep 4: Add 2 tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and 1 green chilli if using, and cook until the tomatoes have collapsed into a jammy sauce around the mushrooms.
5 minStep 5: Whisk 2 ⅞ oz smooth peanut butter with ¾ cup hot water in a jug until smooth, then pour it into the pot with the rest of 1 ½ cups hot water.
Step 6: Bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat and cook, stirring often so it doesn't catch, until the soup is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and a thin sheen of oil shows on the surface.
10 minStep 7: Taste for salt, take out the chilli if you prefer, and serve in bowls with sadza to scoop it up.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nhedzi take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of mixed mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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