Tuscan Farro Soup
Simple yet amazing. This healthy soup, a kind of minestrone with farro, is ubiquitous in Lucca, a city in Tuscany. The farro is traditional, but you could use spelt or barley with good results.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
- 1 largeonion, sliced
- 2celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
- 2carrots, peeled and chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoonminced garlic
- 1 cupfarro, spelt or barley
- 1 cupdried white beans, soaked for several hours or overnight
- 2 cupschopped tomatoes (canned are fine; do not drain)
- 6 cupsstock or water, more as necessary
- ¼ cupchopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cupchopped fresh basil, optional
- freshly grated parmesan
Directions
- 1
Put oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat; a minute later add onion, celery, carrots, a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook until vegetables are glossy and onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, and stir; add farro, beans, tomatoes and stock, and stir.
- 2
Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until farro and beans are tender, at least an hour, adding stock or water as necessary if mixture becomes too thick. Stir in parsley and basil (if using), then cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve with lots of Parmesan.