An easy, hearty, filling, protein-packed and flavor-filled soup which requires only a few ingredients, and that can become a stew by simply altering the amount of water.
Serve it with cashews, a slice of fresh baguette, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and personalize it to your taste. Make a big batch ahead, and enjoy all week long for a quick, easy meal.
1/4cupdried mushroomsoptional, adds texture and nutritional value
2tbspstomato paste
a handfulcashewsor sunflower seeds sprinkled on top
Instructions
Start by washing and soaking all the beans for 12 hours, minus the lentils.
I don't advice to add bicarbonate like you read on many sites and books, because it can actually strip the beans of some very valuable nutrients. I prefer to soak for longer (up to 24 hours in the fridge if needed).
Now drain the beans, and add them to the pot together with your choice of herbs and spices, the tomato paste, the lentils, the barley and the dried mushrooms if using them.
Pour the water from the kettle (you might want to add a little bit more later on, depending on how soup-y you want the end result to be).
Now stir well, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour and 15/20 minutes. Adjust time if you realize that some of the beans are not fully cooked yet.
Serving options:
as is, with some chopped cashews or nutritional yeast on top;
using a hand-held mixer, mix for just a few seconds in order to have both a smooth and choppy texture;
serve with a warm slice of fresh bread;
finally, use less water or simply drain some liquid before serving (reserve it for a later use) in order to have a stew-y consistency.
Add fresh herbs if desired and a drizzle of EVO oil if you're not strictly oil-free. Happy times!