Pancetta, faro and bean soup

Pancetta, faro and bean soup

A delicious high energy soup that can be made in bulk to brighten up working lunch hours.

Cooking Time: 
50 minutes
Serves: 
5 people
Preparation Time: 
20 minutes
Ingredients: 

 

  • 100g pancetta cubetti (or smoked bacon)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 small carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced (or 2 whole tomatoes from a can, chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 litre chicken stock, home-made if possible
  • 140g pearled spelt (or farro), but pearl barley is perfectly fine too
  • 1 x 400g can canellini beans
  • Flat-leaf parsley & Parmesan to serve
Instructions: 

Fry the pancetta in the oil for 2-3 mins in a medium saucepan. Add the bay leaf and onion. Cook over a gentle heat until the onion has softened and is starting to go golden. Add the garlic, fry for a few seconds more, then the tomatoes and puree. Cook these down until the tomatoes start to thicken and soften. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Rinse the spelt and drain well. Add to stock then simmer very gently for 25-30 mins. Add the canelllini beans and simmer for 10 mins more, or until the grains are tender. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls (or Tupperware if you are keeping it for another day), then sprinkle with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.
 

 

 

Comments

Post new comment

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd><br><p>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.