There is little doubt that pulses are a hugely popular staple in traditional Italian cuisine. Pasta e fagioli, pasta e ceci, riso e lenticchie, Sicilian panelle, farinata… you name it! The entire Italian peninsula is plenty of recipes that make full use of different varieties of pulses.
Because we love them so much, when we moved to the UK we were very happy to discover that pulses are indeed appreciated globally. Humous, falafel, dhal and other delicious recipes of other culinary traditions of the world are now part of our daily eating habits.
We know that the shelves of any supermarket are full of very convenient cans of beans, lentils and chickpeas that are already cooked and ready to use. But when it comes to choosing and cooking pulses we really like the old-fashioned way: buying big sachets of dried seeds from local Italian deli, soaking them overnight and boiling them in a large casserole. The texture, colour, depth of flavour of dried pulses are simply better (not to mention the fact that they are cheaper and definitely more environmental friendly than the canned version).
Yes, of course it takes a bit more time to prepare a recipe with dried pulses, but we believe that it is worth the effort. That is why we have created a little trick to make the process a bit easier: an homemade Legumes Soup Mix.
This Mix is a very handy staple to have in your kitchen whenever you want to prepare a warm and comforting legumes soup without thinking too much. It is perfect for your weekend mealprep, and for having something ready (and healthy!) to bring to work for lunch.
Just follow the recipe below and enjoy!
Legumes Soup Mix
Ingredients
For the Soup Mix
- 150 grams Spelt and Barley mixed
- 80 grams Cannellini Beans
- 80 grams Dreid Chickpeas
- 80 grams Dried Black Beans
- 80 grams Dried Green and Brown Lentils mixed
- 80 grams Dried Red Lentils
For the Soup (for 4 people)
- 1 Onion
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Vegetable Stock
- 3-4 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 litres Hot Water
Instructions
- Transfer all the pulses and grains in a large glass storage jar. Shake the jar and your Soup Mix is ready!With these doses you will obtain approximately 5-6 portions of soup.
- Whenever you want to prepare a warm and comforting soup, soak 400 grams of your Soup Mix overnight or for at least 8 hours (this dose is for 4 people, you can of course scale it down or up: calculate approximately 100 grams of Soup Mix per person).
- In a large casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat; stir fry onion and carrot until just softened. Drain and rinse the Soup Mix thoroughly and add it to the casserole together with the vegetable stock.
- Cover with the hot water and bring to the boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for approximately one hour and half, until the pulses and grains have softened (cooking time may change, depending on the type of pulses you use for the mix).
- While your soup is cooking you may add all the spices you like (we recommend a couple of bay leaves, some dry parsley and a pinch of chili pepper).
- Once the pulses and grains are fully cooked, let the soup rest of 5 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan.
