Mushroom and orzo soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 150 g broad beans (broad beans), dried, yellow
• 150 g pearl barley or Ebly wheat
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 carrot(s)
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• Parsley
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 30 minutes

Stew of yellow broad beans and pearl barley, Italian poor man’s food for cold days

Soak the dried beans in water the night before and drain the beans the next day. Peel and chop the onion and garlic, and peel and dice the carrot if necessary. In a pressure cooker (or a large pot if you don’t have one), sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the carrot and sauté briefly (if using a regular pot, I would add the carrot about 10 minutes before the end). Add the soaked beans, pearl barley, or Ebly wheat flour, and enough water to cover everything (if using a regular pot, cook the beans for 40 minutes first, then the pearl barley for another 30 minutes). Close the pressure cooker and let it stand on high until the second ring is visible. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker steam off on the switched-off burner. When it opens again, season with parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a good olive oil and, if desired, Parmesan cheese.