With the arrival of the autumn season, tables are enriched with comforting, warm dishes full of seasonal vegetables and legumes. Soups, broths, and creams are my favorite mood, as I continuously vary all possible combinations to create always genuine and healthy dishes that never disappoint! That’s the case of this wonderfully enveloping soup, created somewhat by chance with what I actually had in the fridge and which I had to prepare a second time to share with you. Indeed, a pleasant sacrifice! And I must say, it turned out even better than the first, thanks to the addition of a secret ingredient just before serving, which gives it an extra kick! This soup is based on two types of legumes, lentils and dried green peas, rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as plant-based proteins. The choice of Mantua squash is no coincidence, as it provides a full-bodied nutty aroma that I love so much, and the sweet combination with chard is absolutely winning! I recommend serving it during the cold winter or autumn months, as it warms body and mind! Try it with slices of rustic bread or rosemary croutons, you will delight!
If you also love warm and steaming comfort food dishes to wrap yourself in and warm up during your winters, here are many other proposals that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 14 oz Mantua squash
- 5 oz chard
- 3.5 oz dried lentils (Sicilian)
- 3.5 oz dried peas (split)
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 21 oz vegetable broth (hot)
- 1.75 oz Grana Padano DOP
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 sprig rosemary
- 1 teaspoon savory (optional)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste white pepper
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Teaspoon
Steps
First, wash the chard under running water, drain them, and cut them very thinly into julienne, including the stalks. Clean the squash by removing the internal seeds and outer skin with a knife, and cut it into fairly regular cubes. Finally, peel and finely chop the half onion
In a fairly large pan, brown the onion for 1 minute over high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 of hot broth, the stripped rosemary, and the savory
Add the green peas previously rinsed under running water, add another ladle of hot broth, and let it flavor for another 2 minutes
At this point, also add the squash cubes, covering them with 3 ladles of broth and letting them cook on low heat for another 2 minutes
Then add the lentils and bring back to a boil
Cover with more broth as needed and lower the heat to the minimum
Complete by adding the chard and cook for about 30 minutes, drizzling with the remaining broth if the soup becomes too dry
Halfway through cooking, dissolve 1 generous tablespoon of tomato paste with a little hot broth and mix well
Salt and pepper to taste
The last 5 minutes before turning off, add the Grana in small cubes and let it melt, stirring continuously to prevent it from sticking to the bottom
Turn off and also season with cinnamon
Serve the legume, squash, and chard soup immediately, still hot, with more fresh rosemary and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Accompany it with rustic bread or croutons
And voilà… your legume, squash, and chard soup is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store leftover soup in the fridge in containers, preferably glass, suitable for refrigeration for 2-3 days. You will see that already the next day, it will tend to become dense and thick, don’t worry! You will just need to stretch it with more hot broth and heat it for a few minutes in the microwave or again in a pot to return it to its original state.
