Maccu di San Giuseppe
A thick Sicilian mixed pulse and vegetable soup cooked with dried broad beans, wild fennel, and pasta for Saint Joseph's Day.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 85 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-bottomed pot
- •Wooden spoon
- •Colander
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 14 g
- protein
- 21 g
- calories
- 460 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the soaked chickpeas and borlotti beans thoroughly in a colander.
- 2
Heat half the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cooking until soft and sweet.
- 4
Tip in the chickpeas, borlotti beans, and dried broad beans.
- 5
Pour in two litres of water and bring to a gentle boil.
- 6
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for forty-five minutes.
- 7
Stir in the lentils, wild fennel fronds, and shredded chard.
- 8
Simmer for thirty minutes until the broad beans melt into a creamy broth.
- 9
Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
- 10
Season with salt, black pepper, and the remaining raw olive oil before serving.
Chef's tips
Ensure the broad beans cook down enough to create a naturally thick, creamy base. If wild fennel is unavailable, use fresh cultivated fennel tops mixed with a pinch of crushed fennel seeds. Stir frequently towards the end of cooking so the dense pulse mixture does not catch on the bottom of the pot.
Ingredient substitutions
- finocchietto selvatico (wild fennel) → fresh cultivated fennel tops with a pinch of crushed fennel seeds
- biete (Swiss chard) → Savoy cabbage or spinach
- ditalini → broken spaghetti or tagliatelle
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days; it will set firm as it chills.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, loosening with a splash of boiling water and finishing with a fresh drizzle of olive oil.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Salting the legumes at the start of cooking, which prevents the chickpea and bean skins from softening properly.
- •Leaving the pot unattended once the broad beans disintegrate, which causes the thick soup to scorch.
- •Using too little water, which makes the soup dry into a paste rather than a rich, spoonable minestra.
Serving suggestions
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