Vegetable Soup with Veggies, Cereals and Mushrooms 

The Vegetable Soup with Veggies, Cereals and Mushrooms is a recipe a bit laborious, but so much tasty! It is a mix of veggies, cereals and many vegetables for a very pleasant dish to savor on these cold winter days... A dish with a rustic flavor and many aromas, simple to prepare and very nutritious, suitable for the whole family to pamper themselves on cold winter evenings.

In winter you know it's nice to come home and open the door enjoy the time together, sit on the sofa with a good book or with the people you love to chat to relax after a hectic day of work or study. How about if to the warmth of our home we also add a rich scent that fills the air and brings to the table the veggie and mushroom soup, ideal for the winter season?

When it comes to comfort food I immediately think of soups, which in addition to being warm and enveloping, are nutritious and healthy, rich in vitamins, fibers and mineral salts, they are good for everyone and especially for those who must follow a controlled diet or suitable for specific diseases. Cereals and veggies, for example, are indicated in diets aimed at fighting the so-called "bad" cholesterol (LDL), and soups based on these precious allies of our health can be enriched with vegetables for a rich and complete dish.

Ingredients for 4-5 people

500 gr of cooked mixed legumes (cannellini beans, borlotti beans, chickpeas and lentils) 

70 gr of cooked pearl barley 

70 gr of cooked spelt

2 medium potatoes, diced

a little tomato purée

70 gr of frozen peas 4-5 fresh cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons of chopped vegetables (celery, carrot and onion)

50 gr of dried porcini mushrooms 

About 2 liters of vegetable broth

extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the legumes, remembering that beans and chickpeas should be soaked for 24 hours. If you do not have much time available, you can also use canned ones, already boiled, so the result is equally excellent. Also cook the lentils and cereals, so these do not need to be soaked. Prepare a vegetable broth with carrot, celery and onion (or, to speed up, with a vegetable cube). Soak the dried mushrooms in a small bowl with water for at least half an hour. In a large pot, brown the chopped celery, carrot and onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the squeezed mushrooms and strain and store their water. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the diced potatoes, peas and fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half. Add two/three ladles of broth and cook with the lid tilted over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. At this point add all the veggies, cereals and a little tomato puree. Leave to flavor for a few minutes, turning occasionally, then cover everything with vegetable broth and a ladle of mushroom water kept aside. Season with salt and bring to a boil then cook over low heat, with the lid tilted, until the broth will take consistency and will form a nice thick cream. Turn off the heat and immediately serve the soup in soup dishes or, better yet, in terracotta pans. Add a drizzle of oil, a pinch of pepper and grated cheese to taste.

Preparation time

About 1/2 an hour

Cooking time 

Excluding cooking veggies, about 40 minutes

Recommendations 

To make the vegetable soup even tastier, serve with crispy croutons. To speed up the preparation of this soup, as already mentioned, you can safely use ready-made veggies.