Recipe: Warm up a chilly day with Tuscan Bean and Farro Soup

This slow-cooking, meal-in-a-bowl seems the perfect dish to cook on a cold weather weekend. The soup’s flavor and texture benefits greatly with the addition of farro (sometimes labeled emmer wheat or spelt), the ancient grain that is oh-so-popular in Italy. The taste is an appealing combination of barley and hazelnuts.

Here, farro makes a chewy playmate with long-cooked cabbage, pinto beans, and butternut squash. I know I often warn against overcooking cabbage, but this irresistible soup is an exception. The cabbage almost melts into the broth, giving it a subtle sweet edge.

A slab of garlic toast would make a welcome accompaniment.

Tuscan Bean and Farro Soup with Cabbage and Winter Squash

Yield: 6 servings

1/2 pound (1 1/4 cups) dried pinto beans, picked over, rinsed

1/2 cup farro, see cook’s notes

10 cups water, divided use

Salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 small celery stalk with leaves, chopped

2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 pound green cabbage, cored, shredded

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced (about 2 cups)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

Sofrito:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

Generous 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled or fresh minced

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

Cook’s notes: Farro, emmer whole wheat, is available at Italian markets. Or use spelt, a whole wheat that is sold at health food stores and some supermarkets in their natural foods section.

1. Place beans in bowl; cover by 2 inches with cold water and soak overnight, or 6 hours. Drain.

2. Combine farro and 3 cups water in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat and gently boil until tender (cooking times vary – the farro sold at Trader Joe’s cooks in 10 minutes – consult directions of package). Drain in colander, season with a little salt, and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and cook until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and sage; cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often until cabbage in limp, about 10 minutes. Add beans, squash and 8 cups water (or enough water to cover ingredients by 2 inches). Bring to boil on high heat; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

4. Add salt to taste. If beans are not tender, simmer gently until beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Ladle out 2 cups of beans and vegetables with a small amount of broth; puree in blender in small batches or food processor. Return pureed mixture to pot.

4. Meanwhile prepare sofrito: While soup is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and rosemary; cook 30 seconds and stir in tomatoes. Add salt to taste and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down and sofrito is thick and delicious and beginning to stick to the pan, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Stir sofrito into the soup. Stir in the cooked farro. Taste and adjust salt and add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Have a cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at [email protected]