Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese

Recipe courtesy Mario Batali

Show: Molto MarioEpisode: Sweet Lucca

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (11)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(11)

Cook Time:
1 hr 15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total:: 1 hr 35 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
1 cup faro (may substitute wheat berries)
1 (12-ounce) can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Water
1 1/2 cups fresh green peas
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch half moons
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

In a 10-inch Dutch oven or stockpan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame until hot but not smoking. Add the onion, celery, and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the faro, beans, and tomato paste, stirring so that the tomato paste is spread throughout the pan. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add water until the mixture is completely covered. Let the liquid come to a boil then lower the heat and let the soup simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the peas and the carrots, stirring to combine, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, adding more water when necessary to keep the soup from getting to dry.

To serve: Divide evenly between 4 warmed soup bowls and garnish, to taste, with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Comments & Reviews

recipe Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese
Giovanna Putnam Valley, NY 10-16-2009
Flag

Great for a cold winter night
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Mario -- thank you for sharing another treasure. Everyone enjoyed it.
recipe Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese
Dean cambridge, MA 01-21-2009
Flag

thumbs up
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I've tried a number of variations. This is by far the best. After the soup is done, I take a couple of ladles to the hand... blender. It gives it a more creamy texture. If you can't find farro at the market, search on-line. Don't substitute.Read more
recipe Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese
ADELINA Van Nuys, CA 01-04-2009
Flag

Hearty and Healthy
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The soup was very delicious. I did not have farro so I used to pearled barley instead and it was very good. You have to make... sure to add water as it's cooking and adjust seasoning since the barley can eat up lot of the water.Read more
recipe Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese
Miriam Mill Valley, CA 12-12-2008
Flag

Excellent. Fast and Easy.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have been searching for some healthy, vegetarian meals for a change. I am so glad I stumbled onto this recipe. We all loved... it. My kids, 2y and 3.5y even went for seconds!!! I did not have the beans they ask for so I used canned kidney beans. I cooked the vegetables and the faro for 30 minutes then added the beans and frozen peas and cooked for 10 minutes longer. It was so good. Creamy, flavorful and fulfilling... All I needed. Faro is easily found either at Italian stores, Whole Foods or Mollie Stones' markets.Read more
recipe Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese
Jessica Richmond, VA 11-03-2008
Flag

Yum even with substitutes
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I also went to Lucca this summer and had a small taste of this soup. I made a few substitutions but it was still an... incredibly hearty, creamy, thick & yummy winter soup with all the wonderful flavors of this region. I just used a yellow onion, pinto beans and pearl barley instead or farro or wheatberries (couldn't find either one). About 2 can-fulls of water worked and lots of salt a la Anne Burrell. Grated some good parm regg over basil and topped with olive oil brought we back from Lucca! Served with sliced crusty garlic boule and went to bed full and happy!Read more
recipe Farro Soup in the Style of Lucca: Minestra di Faro Lucchese
joanne elemwood pk , IL 10-27-2008
Flag

Rated: 4 stars out of 5