Spelt-and-Mushroom Soup with Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 16 uncooked spelt or wheat berries
• 2 16s boiling water
• 1/2 16 dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
• 3 16s domestic mushroom stems and pieces
• 1/2 16 juice from domestic mushroom stems/pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided in half)
• 1/2 16 finely chopped fresh parsley (divided in half)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (divided into 1 tsp and 2 tsp)
• 3 16s leeks, thinly sliced (about 3 large)
• 6.75 16s vegetable stock (or canned vegetable broth)
• 1/2 16 dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 16s uncooked bow tie pasta (Farfalle)
• 2 tablespoons Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons parmesean cheese, fresh and grated

Directions

Spelt, an ancient whole grain slightly higher in protein than wheat, can be found in health-food stores.  Nutty in flavor, its kernels are similar in shape to unprocessed kernels of whole wheat (wheat berries), and the two are interchangeable in this soup.

(Note:  Please pardon the roughness of this recipe.  We adapted liberally a Cooking Light recipe and then made the soup in a two phase process.  The ingredients and steps below represent our attempt to “meld” the various ingredients and phases together.  The process could be more efficient but our main desire is to get the wonderful ingredients to you.  If you are pretty comfortable in the kitchen, you’ll see where the recipe is going.)

Place spelt in a medium saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above spelt. Boil, reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, 1 hour or until tender. Drain.

Combine 2 cups boiling water and fresh mushrooms in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a colander, reserving soaking liquid. Discard mushroom stems; thinly slice mushroom caps.

Strain domestic mushroom stems and pieces, saving liquid in saucepan. Simmer bay leaf in this liquid for 30 to 45 minutes. Pull out bay leaf.

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in med-high heat. Saute spelt, fresh mushrooms, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 tsp garlic mixture and leek for 5 minutes. Place in 8 qt (maybe 6…) stockpot.

Stir in both mushroom liquids, vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 30 minutes or until the spelt is tender.

Boil pasta so some firmness remains.

Heat remaining 1 tbs of olive oil over med heat. Saute domestic mushrooms, Pasta Sprinkle and 2 tsp garlic until mushrooms are soft and fragrant.

Add cooked pasta, sauted domestic mushrooms, domestic liquid, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley. Spoon soup into bowls; sprinkle with cheese.

Made by Linda Kueneke, Paul Knott, Bev and Jeff Metzger, Judy Tillapaugh, Mitch Harper and Dawn Wilson, and Joni Lehman.