Minestra di Fagioli e Orzo alla Goriziana
A thick, warming Friulian minestra from Gorizia made with tender borlotti beans, pearl barley, root vegetables, and savoury smoked pork ribs spiced with paprika.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 65 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 510 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-bottomed pot
- •Chopping board
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 510 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 11 g
- protein
- 28 g
- calories
- 510 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
- 3
Sauté gently for eight minutes until the vegetables soften and turn sweet.
- 4
Stir in the sweet paprika and cook for thirty seconds until fragrant.
- 5
Add the drained borlotti beans, rinsed pearl barley, smoked pork ribs, and bay leaves.
- 6
Pour in the water, cover with a lid, and bring to a gentle boil.
- 7
Lower the heat and simmer gently for one hour until beans and barley are tender.
- 8
Transfer the ribs to a board, shred the tender meat, and discard the bones.
- 9
Mash a ladleful of beans against the pot wall to thicken the broth.
- 10
Return the shredded meat to the soup, season with salt and pepper, and simmer five minutes.
Chef's tips
Soak dried beans overnight for the creamiest texture and even cooking. Simmering the smoked rib directly in the broth imparts a deep savoury depth without needing rich stock cubes.
Ingredient substitutions
- smoked pork ribs → smoked pancetta or thick-cut speck
- dried borlotti beans → two drained 400 g cans of cooked borlotti beans, added during the last twenty minutes
Storage
Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring in a splash of water if the barley has absorbed the liquid.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Salting the broth heavily at the start before the smoked ribs have released their natural cure.
- •Boiling too rapidly, which breaks the delicate beans apart before the barley softens.
Serving suggestions
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