Mushroom, barley & cavolo nero soup

Ingredients

For 2 portions

• Chestnut mushrooms400 g
• Onion1 onion (150 g)
• Olive oil30 ml
• Garlic2 cloves (10 g)
• Vegetable stock780 ml
• Potato150 g
• Pearl barley60 g
• Fresh thyme5 g
• Cavolo nero80 g
• White miso20 g
• Sea salt3 g
• Black pepper2 g
• Pumpkin seeds20 g

Method

1. 1

   Prepare your ingredients: chestnut mushrooms — wipe clean and slice; onion — peel and dice; garlic — peel and crush or finely slice; vegetable stock — make up from a stock cube or pot, or use homemade; potato — peel and cut into 2 cm cubes; pearl barley — rinse; fresh thyme — strip leaves from 4–5 sprigs; cavolo nero — strip leaves from stems and shred; white miso — loosen with a little hot stock; pumpkin seeds — toast in a dry pan for 3 minutes.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat and fry the mushrooms in batches until golden, about 8 minutes. Set a handful aside for the top.

3. 3

   Lower the heat, add a little more oil and soften the onion with a pinch of salt for 8–10 minutes, without colouring.

4. 4

   Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the potato and fresh thyme, then pour in 780 ml hot stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 18 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing catches.

6. 6

   Take off the heat and cool for a few minutes. Blend until completely smooth, working in batches if needed and holding the blender lid down with a tea towel.

7. 7

   Return to the pan, add the pearl barley and cavolo nero and simmer for 35 minutes until tender, loosening with a splash of hot water if it gets too thick.

8. 8

   Off the heat, stir in the white miso (loosen the miso in a ladle of soup first).

9. 9

   Taste and adjust with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

10. 10

    Ladle into warm bowls and finish with the pumpkin seeds and a little olive oil.