Minestra di Orzo Valdostana
A nourishing Alpine soup made with pearl barley, tender leeks, potatoes and cured pork simmered gently until rich and thick.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 58 g
- fibre
- 9 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 460 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat.
- 2
Add the pancetta lardons and cook until lightly crisp and the fat renders.
- 3
Stir in the sliced leeks with a small pinch of salt.
- 4
Cook gently for eight minutes until the leeks soften completely without browning.
- 5
Add the diced potatoes, pearl barley, thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- 6
Stir well for two minutes to coat the barley in the cooking fat.
- 7
Pour in the hot broth and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
- 8
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for forty minutes until the barley is tender.
- 9
Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf from the pot.
- 10
Season with black pepper and adjust salt to taste before serving.
Chef's tips
Rinse the pearl barley under cold running water before cooking to remove excess starch. If the soup thickens excessively while resting, loosen it with a splash of hot broth or water before serving.
Ingredient substitutions
- pancetta → smoked bacon lardons or diced Valle d'Aosta lardo
- unsalted butter → extra virgin olive oil or rendered lard
Storage
Store chilled in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the broth.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup vigorously, which causes the barley to stick and scorch on the base of the pot.
- •Browning the leeks too dark, which gives the broth an unwanted bitter edge.
Serving suggestions
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