Soup - Farro

By SallySmo

This unusual soup has a very thick and creamy consistency. It is hearty and extremely nutritious, and is a perfect meal for the end of gray winter days. 'Garfagnana' is the area in Tuscany which is famous for its farro.

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 7 ounces or 200 grams farro
• 7 ounces or 200 grams dried white beans, such as Cannelloni or Borlotti; dried beans need to be soaked overnight or at least 12 hours
• 1 cup each of roughly chopped onion, celery and carrot
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large can whole tomatoes
• Chopped fresh sage and fresh rosemary to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

An optional non vegetarian choice would be to brown 4 ounces or 100 grams of pancetta, prosciutto or salt pork in olive oil before adding the chopped vegetables.

When the meat is lightly browned, add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until fairly soft and golden. When the vegetables are lightly browned, add the chopped garlic and continue to sauté until the garlic just begins to color.

Add the soaked beans, the farro, and the canned tomatoes. Then cover all the ingredients in boiling water, to about 1 inch above the farro mixture. Let the mixture then boil gently for at least 1 hour, until the soup has reached a creamy consistency. At this point, add the fresh herbs and the salt and pepper. Continue to cook for just a few minutes to blend these flavors. Some cooks of the Garfagnana believe that the farro soup is best served on the second day, after the flavors have had a chance to blend even more, and the farro has further softened; you be the judge.

In the Garfagnana, it is not uncommon for cooks to add a piece of smoked or salted pigskin to the soup as it boils. Knowing that this might not be available to all our cooks, we suggest the alternative pork products of pancetta, prosciutto or salt pork.