Mixed-grain and vegetable soup

Mixed-grain and vegetable soup. Chopped, Finely chopped, Peeled and cut into chunks.

Diana Henry

15 + 35 min · 6

Ingredients

• 9 g Chopped
• 120 g Finely chopped
• 120 g Peeled and cut into chunks
• 400 g Borlotti beans , drained
• 750 g Peeled, deseeded and cut into small chunks
• 100 g Raw spinach
• 100 g Cut into chunks
• 100 g Puréed tomato, about 3 tablespoons
• 40 g Olive oil
• 1200 g Prepared vegetable stock
• 70 g Reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
• 38 g you can use a mixed grains, like spelt, rice, quinoa
• 38 g Uncooked quinoa
• 7 g Fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, celery, pumpkin or squash and carrot and cook until the vegetables have some colour.
2. Add a splash of water and some seasoning, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook over a very low heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the strained tomatoes, stock and rinsed dry quinoa. Add Parmesan rind only if using it, and season to taste. Reserve the already-cooked barley for the next step.
4. Simmer for about 15–20 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. Add the cooked barley and beans for the final 5 minutes and the spinach for the last 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. If you want to use sage, fry the leaves whole in a little olive oil before adding to the soup. If you prefer to use parsley, you can just add it directly to the soup.
6. Remove any Parmesan rinds from the soup. Serve topped with Parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil.