The only soup in the lineup: barley, potatoes and two kinds of mushrooms
Barley soup with sautéed button mushrooms and dried porcini (ID 80) combines barley, potatoes and cabbage with sautéed button mushrooms and the rich flavor of dried porcini. Lemon juice is added at the end and, according to the description, pleasantly lightens the dish. A practical note for planning: at 70 minutes, it has the second-longest preparation time of all the recipes listed, after the pork with dark beer. One serving has 300 kcal and 10 g of protein.
For a more substantial dish when you have time
Pork in dark beer with plums, polenta and roasted carrots (ID 82) takes 120 minutes to prepare. The shoulder is slowly braised with dark beer and soft plums, and served with mustard sauce, creamy polenta and roasted carrots. Compared with the soup, it is a substantially longer and heartier meal: the recipe lists 900 kcal and 44 g of protein per serving. If you have less time, pork tenderloin with sour cherry sauce is a quicker alternative, though it is not a soup.
Fruitiness in two very different dishes
Pork tenderloin with sour cherry sauce and creamy polenta (ID 57) takes 50 minutes. The pan-seared tenderloin, finished in the oven, is served with a boldly flavored sour cherry sauce, polenta and briefly braised spinach. Rye toasts with warm beetroot, apple and goat cheese (ID 52) have the same listed preparation time, but they are a snack, not a main meat dish. Roasted beetroot is paired with apple, goat cheese, apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. Their common thread is a fruity or tangy flavor, but their ingredients and categories are different.
A quick skillet instead of a pot
One-pan shrimp with white beans and fennel (ID 51) is the quickest option in this selection, taking 22 minutes to prepare. Sautéed shrimp are paired with creamy beans and mildly sweet fennel; lemon and parsley brighten the dish at the end. It is served with toasted bread. One serving has 500 kcal and 45 g of protein. Unlike the barley soup, this dish has a substantial bean component, but it is listed among the quick meals, not the soups.
Apples and pumpkin seeds for the breakfast table
Creamy cornmeal porridge with butter-fried apples and tahini (ID 50) rounds out the selection outside the soup category. It is a breakfast recipe, ready in 28 minutes. The apples, fried in butter, are complemented by lemon and cinnamon, while tahini and dry-toasted pumpkin seeds add a nutty flavor and contrast. One serving contains 547 kcal and 14.5 g of protein. Unlike the beetroot toasts, this is a warm porridge, not a savory snack.
