Very creamy and delicious Lathyrus Soup. Lathyrus is an ancient legume perhaps less known than other legumes, grown in the central-southern part of the country, mainly between Marche and Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia. Its plant is similar to chickpeas, but lathyrus is even more resistant to scorching and dry climates and inhospitable soils. For this reason, unlike other legumes, lathyrus was, along with potatoes and onions, one of the few things that could be easily found to eat even in times of famine. This legume has always been considered a poor food, but in recent times they have been rediscovered considering their great protein content, making them perfect even in a vegetarian or vegan diet. Lathyrus is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers. In appearance, they resemble dried broad beans, while in taste they are more reminiscent of chickpeas and peas. To consume this legume, lathyrus requires a 12-18 hour soak in water to which I added a pinch of baking soda for better digestibility. The recipe I want to tell you about today is a very creamy and delicious Potato and Lathyrus Soup. I served it simply with croutons, and it was really delicious, even though it was my first time preparing it. Let’s head to the kitchen and prepare a delicious Lathyrus Soup together.
DON’T MISS ALSO THESE RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 18 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: For 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 278.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.46 (g) of which sugars 1.77 (g)
- Proteins 19.76 (g)
- Fat 3.89 (g) of which saturated 0.46 (g)of which unsaturated 0.20 (g)
- Fibers 11.80 (g)
- Sodium 235.66 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 220 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Lathyrus and Potatoes
- 10.5 oz dried lathyrus
- 14 oz potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 stalk celery
- 1.35 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (for soaking legumes)
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 2 bay leaves)
- 8 slices white bread
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
How to Prepare Lathyrus and Potato Soup
First, the day before, soak the legumes in a bowl with water adding half a teaspoon of baking soda. For perfect results, 12-18 hours of soaking are necessary. To prepare the Lathyrus Soup, rinse the legumes thoroughly. Peel the carrots and cut them into small pieces. Also cut the onion and celery stalk into small pieces.
Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a saucepan or an earthenware pot and add onion, carrots, and celery. Let it sauté over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the drained lathyrus to the saucepan and let it toast for a minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Cover with a quart of water or vegetable broth and also add a sprig of rosemary or 2 bay leaves. After about 20 minutes of cooking, add the peeled and diced potatoes to the saucepan. Continue cooking for another 30-40 minutes, adding a ladle of water if it dries out too much. Taste to check doneness.
Meanwhile, remove the crust from the slices of white bread and cut it into cubes. Let it toast in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or, if you prefer, you can do it in the oven or air fryer. Toward the end of the soup’s cooking, season with salt and pepper and mix. Serve the Lathyrus and Potato Soup with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and croutons.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, hugs, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
For a creamier soup, you can simply blend half of it with an immersion blender.
If you have leftover Soup, store it in a container in the fridge. You just need to reheat it for a few minutes, adding a little water or vegetable broth.
If you’re looking for a richer and more complete dish, you can add cooked pasta at the end of cooking, small tubes or mixed pasta work well.
Also read my recipe for Pasta and Chickpeas
