Italian Grain and Bean Soup

 As the days get shorter and the air gets colder many people,including me, turn to soup as the magic elixir. When I was growing up my mom made chicken soup every Friday. As it simmered on the stove and as the aroma wafted through the house, I knew that all was right in my world.

But let’s face it; you don’t always have the time to let soup simmer on the stove all afternoon. You need something easy, fast, nutritious, and delicious that you can have on the table in less than an hour. One of my favorite “simple savory soups” is Italian Grain and Bean. It is made with canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and cannellini beans, which cuts down on the prep and cooking time.

In this recipe, the grain of choice is farro, an ancient grain that is an ancestor of wheat. I love farro because of its nutty flavor. For me it has more umani than other grains.You can use barley in this recipe, but the soup won’t taste quite the same, and it will take longer to cook. Today farro is readily available in well stocked supermarkets, and of course on line.

Serve the soup with crusty bread. Add fruit and cheese (and a glass of wine ) for a complete meal.

This recipe serves 6..

Ingredients 

• 1  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (not drained)
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup farro
• 1 14.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Parmesan rind (optional)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 4 – 6 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat
2. Add onion; carrot; celery, parsley; basil, and garlic. Cook stirring often, until the onion and carrot begin to soften, 3 – 4 minutes
3. Add tomatoes; their juice, and the chicken broth
4. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil
5. Add farro and beans
6. Season with pepper
7. When the soup returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the grain is tender, 30 – 35 minutes. (If using barley cook for 40-45 minutes)
8. Remove Parmesan rind if using
9. Sprinkle each serving with cheese

The recipe comes from Eating Well Magazine, Winter 2003