White bean and farro soup is a hearty, warming vegetarian soup that tastes almost meaty thanks to nutty, chewy farro. It's also easy to make, whether you cook your beans from scratch, or reach into the pantry for some canned. The aroma of rosemary adds depth to the flavor of this truly wonderful dish. So simple and so delicious.
AuthorAnn Ogden GaffneyCannellini beans are the classic for this soup, but you can use anything- borlotti, cranberry, pinto, Lima beans, you name it
Heat the oil in a 5qt Dutch oven over a medium high heat. Lightly roll the sprig of rosemary in your hands to release the oils. When the oil ripples,add the sprig of rosemary with a grind of black pepper. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the onions to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and stir to mix. Partially cover the pan and lower the heat to medium low. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, translucent and just starting to take on a pale gold color - about 8-10 minutes. Do not let them burn.
Turn up the heat to medium high. Add the farro and the white wine. Stir to mix. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until the wine looks syrupy.
Add the garlic and the stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover reduce heat to medium and cook until the farro is just tender, about 35 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking.
When the farro is tender (al denté) add the rinsed beans. Stir to mix. This is a thick soup, so add a little more stock or water to taste. Cook another 10-15 minutes to heat the beans through, smashing a few against the side of the pan to thicken the soup. Check for seasoning.
To finish: Stir in the arugula - it will quickly wilt. Ladle soup into bowls immediately. Drizzle each bowl with some good extra virgin olive oil. Serve.
If using home made beans, a couple of things:
1) you don’t need to drain and rinse them
2) in step 5 use 3 cups of stock, and add the beans and their liquor in step 6.
Cannellini beans are the classic for this soup, but you can use anything- borlotti, cranberry, pinto, Lima beans, you name it
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a 5qt Dutch oven over a medium high heat. Lightly roll the sprig of rosemary in your hands to release the oils. When the oil ripples,add the sprig of rosemary with a grind of black pepper. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the onions to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and stir to mix. Partially cover the pan and lower the heat to medium low. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, translucent and just starting to take on a pale gold color - about 8-10 minutes. Do not let them burn.
Turn up the heat to medium high. Add the farro and the white wine. Stir to mix. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until the wine looks syrupy.
Add the garlic and the stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover reduce heat to medium and cook until the farro is just tender, about 35 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking.
When the farro is tender (al denté) add the rinsed beans. Stir to mix. This is a thick soup, so add a little more stock or water to taste. Cook another 10-15 minutes to heat the beans through, smashing a few against the side of the pan to thicken the soup. Check for seasoning.
To finish: Stir in the arugula - it will quickly wilt. Ladle soup into bowls immediately. Drizzle each bowl with some good extra virgin olive oil. Serve.
If using home made beans, a couple of things:
1) you don’t need to drain and rinse them
2) in step 5 use 3 cups of stock, and add the beans and their liquor in step 6.
Cannellini beans are the classic for this soup, but you can use anything- borlotti, cranberry, pinto, Lima beans, you name it
