RICH OVEN-BAKED VEGETABLE SOUP

RICH OVEN-BAKED VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

500g leftover VEGETABLE SOUP (=17,64oz)

300g leftover HOMEMADE BREAD prepared a few days in advance as it doesn’t have to be too fresh (=10,58oz)

70g PDO PARMIGIANO REGGIANO 24 or 30 months (=2,47oz=⅔ cups)

20g DRIED PORCINI MUSHROOMS (=0,71oz)

1 sweet unflavoured PORK SAUSAGE or SALAMI PASTE (about 130g=4,59oz)

Method:

Break the mushrooms into pieces and soak them for minimum half an hour (the more the better) in lukewarm water, changing water 2 or 3 times in order to lose impurities.

Warm the vegetable soup up, slice bread (about 1cm thick) and grate the cheese.

Squeeze porcini mushrooms, keeping the last water apart.

Peel the sausage and pan-fry it for 2-3 minutes in a pan, breaking it into pieces. Once the meat has completely changed in colour add mushrooms and filtered mushrooms water (about 150g=5,29oz=⅔ cup) and cook for another 10 minutes.

Lay the bread slices at the bottom of a high-sided tray (mine was 24cm L  x 18cm W x 7cm H) and sprinkle with PDO Parmigiano Reggiano. Pour some warm vegetable soup on top, then pour some mushroom and sausage sauce and sprinkle with cheese again. Proceed with another layer of bread, cheese, vegetable soup, mushrooms and sausage sauce and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven at 180°C (=356°F) for about 30 minutes.

Rich oven-baked vegetable soup is a richer version of the oven-baked vegetable soup recipe. Thanks to porcini and sausage this ancient peasant recipe has gained a new life!