Zuppa di Farro Umbra
A comforting Umbrian winter soup of pearled farro ancient grain simmered with borlotti beans, cured pork, and vegetables into a thick, rustic broth.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan or terracotta pot
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
- •Hand blender or food processor
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 10 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- 2
Add the diced pancetta and cook gently until the fat renders and turns lightly golden.
- 3
Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic clove to the pan.
- 4
Sauté for eight minutes until the soffritto vegetables collapse and turn sweet.
- 5
Stir in the tomato passata and whole rosemary sprig for one minute.
- 6
Add the rinsed farro and half of the cooked borlotti beans.
- 7
Blend the remaining borlotti beans with a splash of hot stock until smooth and stir into the pan.
- 8
Pour in the rest of the hot stock and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- 9
Cook uncovered over low heat for thirty minutes until the farro grains swell and become tender.
- 10
Remove the rosemary sprig and garlic clove, then season the soup with salt and pepper.
- 11
Ladle the thick soup into bowls and finish with grated pecorino and extra olive oil.
Chef's tips
If using semi-pearled or whole grain farro rather than pearled farro, soak it overnight and extend cooking time by twenty minutes. Pureeing half the beans is the traditional secret to creating a velvety, thick body without adding flour.
Ingredient substitutions
- cured pancetta → guanciale for a richer pork base, or omit entirely for a vegetarian version
- Pecorino Umbro → mature pecorino toscano or Grana Padano
- borlotti beans → cannellini beans or cicerchia (grass peas)
Storage
Store chilled in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a pot over low heat, adding a splash of water or warm broth to loosen the thickened grains.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup vigorously, which bursts the farro grains instead of keeping a firm chew.
- •Leaving all beans whole, resulting in a thin and watery broth rather than a velvety consistency.
- •Adding too much salt early before the stock and cured pancetta reduce.
Serving suggestions
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