Recipes based on legumes are to be found in all traditional cuisines; recently, the trend to environmentally friendly and culturally attentive farming led to the search and valorisation of crops long forgotten.

Traditionally, legumes are used to concoct hearty soups, as main ingredient or added to a mix of vegetables.

Legumes are used fresh or dried; in this case they are usually let to soak in water for one night before being boiled and cooked.

Most soups are based on a simple recipe: olive oil, onion or garlic gently softened; legumes are added (fresh or soaked if dried), with herbs and other ingredients (tomatoes, tomato paste, different vegetables, broth).

Often also pasta or rice are added.

Based on the season and on the region, legumes soups are lighter or richer: in winter or in Northern regions meat and/or animal fat are added to make the soup more earthy.

Each region has different traditional recipes elaborated on the basis of the main procedure.

Some traditional combinations:

• Pasta e ceci (Chickpeas and pasta soup, Italy): Chickpeas, garlic, rosemary, pasta.
• Potajes (legumes and vegetables, Spain); a richer and heavier version is Puchero, where animal fat and meat are added
• Feijoada de mariscos (beans and seafood soup, Portugal)
• Ertwensoep (dried peas, meat, Belgium and the Netherlands)

Cassoulet (white beans, pork meat and sausages, France)