Hearty Farro + Sweet Leeks = A Delicious Soup Everytime

   

Nutrient-rich farro is an ancient grain with a nutty flavor & firm-chewy texture, making it wonderful to cook with in soups, salads & breads.  The Romans ate farro to give them strength as they marched across the Western World & would arrive with a full belly & battle-ready thanks to this hearty grain! This recipe for Farro & Leek Soup can be built upon based on what's in-season, in the Spring add peas & asparagus for bright flavor or in the Fall try walnuts & porcini creating a rich meaty flavored stew.

You should be able to find farro at most Italian specialty shops or health food stores. We are lucky to find locally grown farro right here in Le Marche, Italy!

farro & leek spring soup

Farro and Leek Soup

Minestra di Farro e Porri

(Depending on the time of year, you can add in asparagus & peas in the spring or mushrooms & walnuts in the fall if you like.)

Serves 4

2-3 glugs or tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced finely

1 cup or 150 gr farro
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced

1 liter meat stock (vegetable or chicken stock is OK, however meat stock adds richer flavor) **Please do not use bullion cubes for this! There are only a few ingredients & they should be of the highest quality possible.
herbs of your choice - I use 1 sprig of thyme & a bay leaf

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt & pepper

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil on med/low heat. Add in the vegetables and sweat until translucent and soft WITHOUT browning. If the vegetables stick to the pan, lower the heat & add a spoonful of water.  

Then toss in the farro, toasting with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Add in the herbs & stock. Season with salt & pepper. 

Then Bring up to a low simmer and continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the farro is tender.

You can control the consistency of the soup: to make it more 'stewy'  hold back a little stock, and the contrary if you like it 'soupy,' add a bit more stock.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and serve with toasty bread.

Pasta with Spring Veggies (Spaghetti alla Chitarra con verdure di primavera)

Perfect for spring - looking for something fresh & light, delicious & a little different? This it it!

This dish is a great way to incorporate all the fresh vegetables of spring. It's roots are Roman as they called it vignarola or vignole but it is found all over Le Marche!

A versatile dish that you can make as a primi - pasta dish or as a stew/soup by adding more vegetable stock.

It is so simple, Jason has made this for many dinners this spring as his "go to" pasta - everyone has loved it! (One group of Italians even asked to take the rest home with them!) The longest part is the shelling of all the fava. (For the vegetarians out there, sadly, just omit the prosciutto)

Please, please use fresh pasta in this dish - it will make it much softer & worth the effort or cost. We used Spaghetti alla Chitarra a local pasta, but you probably won't find that in the States, so try regular spaghetti, linguini or fettucini.

Pasta with Spring Veggies (Spaghetti alla Chitarra con verdure di primavera)

serves 6

12-16 oz. of fresh pasta

4-5 small artichokes

sea salt & pepper

1 leek, outer leaves removed, cut into 3-inch lengths, washed

1/2 lb. chard (or other nice leafy greens)

extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, chopped

3/4 cup of vegetable stock (add another 3/4 cup if you are making into a stew) - use the water you will using to blanch the veggies in.

12 oz. fresh shelled peas

12 oz. of fresh shelled fava (or half a grocery bag full of the beans)

one bunch of asparagus

4 thick slices of prosciutto

small bunch fresh mint & parsley (we have both growing wild)

Put artichokes into a pot of cold, salted water & bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes or until tender (you can check by inserting a knife into the heart) and drain. (Tip: Jason puts a plate on top of the boiling water of artichokes so they don't pop out & stay under water!) Allow to cool, then peel off the outer leaves until you find the pale tender ones, remove the choke (fuzzy white parts) using a spoon. Cut the hearts into quarters.

Fill the pot with new water, add salt & bring to a boil. Blanch the fava beans for a minute, remove from water with a slotted spoon. Blanch the leeks for 3 -4 minutes, until tender, and the chard until just wilted.

Heat a large saucepan, big enough to hold all the ingredients, and add a good splash of oil. Cook the onion, low & slow for about 10 minutes until soft. Cut the tough parts of the asparagus off the bottom & discard, cut into quarter inch pieces. Sauté for 2-3 minutes with onion. Then add the vegetable stock (the water used to blanch the fava, leeks & chard) and the peas, bring to a boil. Cut the prosciutto into bits & add in - simmer for about 10 minutes, until the peas are cooked and soft and the prosciutto has flavored it all nicely.

Chop leeks into strips, run a knife through the chard & stir into the pan. Add the artichoke hearts & fava beans and let simmer for a few minutes. Finish with salt & pepper to taste a small bunch of chopped fresh mint & parsley. Add a few glugs of olive oil.

Toss with pasta & drizzle with a bit more olive oil for the bright flavors & colors of spring! Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan or grana padano.

Note: you may need a few spoonfuls of pasta water if the dish looks too dry.

Farro & Leek Soup

Farro is an ancient grain, the original grain from which all others derive. Farro has been eaten & cultivated in Italy for centuries most notably by the Roman Legion! The Romans ate farro to give them strength as they marched across the Western World & would arrive with a full belly & battle ready thanks to this hearty grain!

Farro is like spelt, but has a firm chewy texture. You should be able to find it at an Italian shop, health food store or speciality shop. We are lucky to find locally grown farro right here in Le Marche! (If you can't find farro - spelt or barley should work)

This recipe has only a few ingredients but is full of flavor and a great first course, not to mention super easy to make!

Farro & Leek Soup

Minestra di Farro e Porri

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced

1 1/2 cups pearl farro

6 1/4 cups meat stock **Please do not use bullion (or stock) cubes for this! There are only a few ingredients & they should be of the highest quality possible.

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a pan, add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Add the farro, pour in the stock, season with salt and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until the farro is tender.

Season with pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls or a soup tureen and sprinkle with Parmesan & drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil.