After I left home and began to venture out in the supermarket on my own (out of the necessity to eat!) I discovered that there were many interesting types of lentils. They are all wonderful. I still love them mostly in soups and have quite a repertoire of tasty recipes I would like to share. The one I am posting today is completely meat free. To be sure the rich porcini mushroom broth more than makes up for the lack of meat. Barley is an excellent grain and much healthier than pasta. You will find it adds a slightly chewy texture and a delicate nutty flavor to the soup. This soup also tastes excellent the next day!
…..And so here is today’s Lentil Soup Of The Day!
Lentil Soup of the Day – Porcini Fava and Barley
4 cups of water
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
3/4 cup pearl barley
3/4 cup dry brown lentils
1 cup dried Fava beans
5 cups prepared vegetable broth (home made or low salt store bought)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
Parmesan cheese grated (Optional)
Boil 4 cups of water in microwave or on top of stove Add the porcini mushrooms, cover let stand for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until onions are soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in the celery and the garlic cook for another few minutes until translucent.
Strain the porcini mixture and discard the mushrooms and set the liquid aside (some people like to add them to soup, in that case don’t strain them).
Pour the vegetable broth and the mushroom liquid into the pot with the vegetables, bring to a boil. Add the barley, lentils and Fava beans, cover and simmer over a low heat for 55 minutes or until beans and barley are tender.
Add salt and pepper; adjust seasoning if needed before serving.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.