Grass pea and mushroom soup with polenta croutons

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Dried grass peas60 g
• Cremini mushrooms120 g
• Polenta (cornmeal)35 g
• Carrots40 g
• Celery40 g
• Onion30 g
• Fresh sage3 g
• Extra virgin olive oil10 g
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperto taste

Contains: celery,

In season: September – February

Method

1. The night before, soak the dried grass peas in plenty of cold water; when ready, drain and rinse them, put them in a pan with plenty of cold water and simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes from the boil, until tender; salt towards the end and don't drain them.
2. Meanwhile bring the water for the polenta (about four times its weight) to the boil in a small pan, salt it, pour in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking, and cook over a low heat, stirring often, until thick and coming away from the sides; spread it 1 cm thick on a plate greased with a little oil and leave it to set.
3. Peel the carrot, wash the celery, peel the onion and chop them finely; wipe the chestnut mushrooms with a damp cloth and slice them.
4. In a large pan heat half the oil over a medium-low heat and fry the chopped vegetables with the fresh sage leaves for 5 minutes, until soft; add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, until golden.
5. Add the grass peas with some of their cooking water and simmer for 10 minutes, mashing some with the spoon, until the soup is thick; season with salt and black pepper.
6. Cut the set polenta into cubes and toast them in a non-stick frying pan with the remaining oil over a medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, turning, until crisp; serve them on the soup.