tuscan farro and borlotti soup

[Guest guest]

the sofrito using a lot of oil.....

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Tuscan Farro and Borlotti Bean Soup: Zuppa Di Farro

 

Recipe By :Sandra Rosy Lotti, Toscana Saporita

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Chowders & Soups New Import

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

FOR FARRO:

2 cups farro -- see tip

1 teaspoon salt

FOR BEANS:

1 pound dried Borlotti beans -- soaked overnight in

cold water

1 large red onion

2 garlic cloves

5 leaves fresh sage

Salt

FOR SOFFRITTO:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion -- diced

2 carrots -- diced

1 celery stalk -- diced

4 ounces prosciutto rind

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

5 leaves fresh sage

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

1 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes with their liquid

FOR SERVING:

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Add farro to a large bowl and cover with 4 inches of cold water. Let it

soften overnight.

 

2. Drain and rinse farro. In a large pot or Dutch oven, submerge farro in enough

water to cover it by 2 inches. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat for

about 20 minutes.

 

3. Drain farro and rinse with cold water to remove excess starch, set aside.

 

4. Drain beans and place in a large pot or Dutch oven with 3 quarts of water,

garlic, onion and sage. Cook for 45 minutes, or until beans are tender. Add

salt. Discard garlic, onion and sage. Set beans and cooking liquid aside.

 

5. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Turn heat down to medium and add

onion, carrot, celery and prosciutto rind. Saute for 15 minutes, stirring

frequently, until vegetables are soft.

 

6. Add tomatoes and their liquid, rosemary and sage. Cook for an additional 10

minutes.

 

7. Remove prosciutto rind and process sauteed vegetables through a food mill, or

pulse briefly in a food processor. Transfer mixture to a large pot or Dutch

oven. Process beans through a food mill, or, pulse briefly in a food processor.

Add to vegetable mixture.

 

8. Season mixture with salt and pepper and cover with 3 quarts of water, bring

to a boil. Add nutmeg if using.

 

9. Add cooked farro and cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt, to taste. Ladle soup

into bowls and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly

ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

 

TIP: Note that both the beans and farro grain must be soaked overnight before

you can make the soup. Your local deli or specialty food store should be able to

provide you with the prosciutto rind. Farro, (also known variously as Spelt,

Triticum, Emmer, 'Dinkle'!) is one of the world's oldest cultivated grains.

Farro is available at many health food and specialty shops.

[http://www.salumeriaitaliana.com/acb/showdetl.cfm? & DID=10 & CATID=4 & Product_ID=25\

237]

 

AUTHOR: Sandra Rosy Lotti, owner and managing director of Toscana Saporita

Cooking School, is a chef known throughout Italy for her cookbooks on Tuscan

cuisine. http://www.toscanasaporita.com/

 

Description:

" with Prosciutto. [Alternate Spellings: Faro; sofrito] "

Cuisine:

" Italian "

Source:

" Intermezzo Magazine 2003 (v2n1) "

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 531 Calories; 17g Fat (27.1% calories

from fat); 24g Protein; 76g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol;

711mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable;

3 Fat.

 

NOTES : In the Garfagnana Valley (Tuscany), you'll likely find farro and bean

soup on the menu. Farro is a healthy grain that often is used as a substitute

for the bread in soups of the Valley. The recipe for farro and bean soup is also

said to have been invented by accident during the Middle Ages. One day a peasant

woman was making lunch for her family and there was no bread to put on the

table-she had only beans, potatoes and farro. By cooking all of these

ingredients together, she created a very thick soup that everyone loved,

especially because they were all so full after eating it.

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 1524 0 0 2929 0 0 0 3403 0 0 0 0 0 0 4633 1286 3403 0 2470 0 0

0

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