Legume Soup: The Autumn Must-Have

Autumn brings with it a series of rituals and traditions that characterize it; that's why we can officially say that the season of legume soup has returned! Warm, nutritious, and healthy, it is the star of the season that prepares us for the cold of winter. A combination of flavors and aromas that warm the body and mind. An all-Italian tradition that embraces the principle of eating healthy and delicious, which belongs to the peninsula and conquers the world. This tradition has numerous variations that specifically follow the customs of each region. Organic legume soup follows all the principles that characterize what is now known worldwide as the Mediterranean diet, which is why it is the favorite of Italians.

Legume Soup: Main Characteristics

At the base of the food pyramid, legumes play a very important role in proper nutrition. Organic legume soup is born to satisfy our bodies in the best possible way. From a careful selection of raw materials and the observation of a production chain that selects only the best, offering a variety of about 11 different legumes, comes what reaches our tables as legume soup: delicious, tasty, and with a traditional flavor. The soups are artisanal. The few ingredients and the absence of additives make the recipes homemade and therefore absolutely familiar. The legume soup can also be used as a main course and embodies all the taste and flavor of genuine products that characterize our cuisine. But let's find out how it's prepared.

How to Cook Legume Soup: All Variations

Considering that soup is one of the must-haves of the autumn season, we can confidently confirm that legume and cereal soup comes in numerous variations. As mentioned earlier, each region has its own tradition, so it's not difficult to find differences between the lentil soup of Umbria, made with indigenous lentils, the Tuscan cereal and legume soup with thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves, or the spicy Calabrian soup, in perfect harmony with the tradition of the region. All these characteristics not only make legume soup one of the indispensable elements of Mediterranean tradition but also the flagship of a cuisine envied by the whole world. The different types of organic soups bring to the table an organic cuisine made in complete respect of nature. All the different types of soups have the same preparation and respect the unique principle of eating healthy. Among the variations preferred by Italians are certainly:

• spelt and legume soup;
• buckwheat and legume soup;
• pearl barley and legume soup.

Each of these legume soups follows a specific principle that characterizes the taste and flavor that has made it one of the fundamental dishes of autumn and beyond for years.

Legume Soup Recipe

The process of cooking legume soup is simple. The procedure is what our grandmothers used to follow: once carrots and celery are chopped with garlic and onion, they are sautéed in a pot with oil. You can use dried legumes previously boiled. For the dried ones, we refer to beans and chickpeas, soaked carefully a few hours before. The characteristic shared by all the traditions regarding legume and cereal soup recipes is slow and careful cooking. While everyone has their secret ingredient on how to prepare it, the universal rule valid for all is that the soup must be moist and never dry, which is why it needs to be constantly monitored and hot water added as needed. A drizzle of oil and it's ready to be served. But what to do if you don't have the opportunity to prepare it accurately? Simple, the solution is canned legume soup. There are recipes like these in the collective imagination that are considered the must-haves of autumn, hence considered seasonal. Similar dishes, however, based on legumes, do not necessarily have to be associated only with winter and cold seasons. These dishes indeed involve different consumption methods. Their characteristics allow them to be easily used in all seasons. The secret is to constantly experiment to know how to make legume soup even in summer by turning it into salads and cold dishes.

What to Pair with Legume Soup

Even for pairings, a good dose of creativity and good taste is necessary, which characterizes originality in the kitchen. It's not just about how to cook legume soup but especially how to pair it. Certainly cereals, pasta, rice, and vegetables are the protagonists, and it's not wrong to consider that legumes are even more satisfying than a meat-based dish. If you can't enjoy legumes through soup, you can also consider the option of legume pasta. The choice is ours alone! Autumn, as we know, is that month of the year that accustoms us to climate change and slowly allows us to savor the lowering of temperatures and the clear change of landscapes. It's a time for blankets and sofas, for landscapes tinged with warm colors and steaming meals. So why not savor all the taste of a good legume soup that warms the heart and body?