Zuppa di farro della Garfagnana - Bean and farro soup from Garfagnana

Farro has a lovely chewy texture, it’s nutty and hearty, and makes a comforting, easy soup when paired with beans and some basic aromatics.

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Farro is the the oldest cereal grown by men, known since the seventh millennium BC in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt and Palestine. It then became the basic food of the diet of the Latin peoples, who used to make polenta and bread out of farro flour.

Rich in protein and vitamins, it slowly releases energy combined with vegetables, fruit and cheese: it was therefore recognized as the founding element of the Roman military power – farro and not ferro (iron) helped the Romans conquer the world and create the immortal empire.

With the introduction of other varieties of cereals, thought, the farro farming slowly disappeared, except in a few areas traditionally linked to this cereal.

In Tuscany farro is farmed from immemorial time and without interruption in Garfagnana, where there are still nearly 100 companies that produce the IGP farro, made unique by the indissoluble bond with the territory where it is grown, the climate and the altitude.

The local farro is at the origin of many local Cucina Povera recipes such as zuppa di farro and a sweet farro and ricotta tart.

Farro has a lovely chewy texture, it’s nutty and hearty, and makes a comforting, easy soup when paired with beans and some basic aromatics. Clean, simple flavours and ingredients don’t mean boring food, indeed, it is quite the opposite, and this soup is a great example.

RECIPE - Zuppa di farro della Garfagnana - Bean and farro soup from Garfagnana

To make a real farro soup from Garfagnana you'd need local varieties of beans such as scritto, bianco and rosso of Garfagnana, that you can often buy in local hole in the wall shops. However, you can successfully replace those beans with cannellini, borlotti or cranberry beans, as I made in this soup. Opt for a variety of beans rather than for just one kind of bean: this add layers of flavors, textures, and colours that make every soup or stew more interesting.

Soaking the beans and farro together and simmering them gently and slowly creates an unbelievably creamy, thick soup.

Serves 4

• 150 grams / about 1 cup farro

• 150 grams / about 1 cup mixed dry beans (cannellini beans and borlotti beans)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + more for serving

• ½ golden onion

• ½ carrot

• ½ celery stick

• 1 bay leaf

• 50 grams/ 1¾ oz pancetta, diced

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1.2 l / 5 cups hot water

• Fine sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 slices country bread, slightly toasted

The night before, soak the farro and the beans in a bowl with plenty of water.

The next day, make the battuto: finely chop onion, carrot and celery, and collect them in a medium thick-bottomed pot. Add the olive oil, the diced pancetta, a bay leaf, and a generous pinch of salt, and cook the aromatics on medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened.

When the battuto is soft and golden, add the well drained farro and beans, mix thoroughly to mingle the flavours, then add the tomato paste and cover them with hot water.

Bring the soup to a boil on high heat, then reduce to the minimum and simmer, covered, for about one hour and a half, checking it from time to time to prevent it from drying up too quickly. The soup is ready when thick and creamy: farro will retain its characteristic chewy texture, but beans should be melt-in-your-mouth soft. There’s nothing worst than beans that are still al dente. Should they be still al dente, add more hot water - a ¼ cup increment per time - and cook the soup a little longer, until beans are soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ladle the farro soup into four bowls, add the toasted bread, and drizzle each serving with some olive oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Any leftover can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a bit of water as necessary to thin.

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If you need to print this recipe to keep it in your kitchen and use for scribbling down your notes, you find the printable PDF below and you can print just odd pages to avoid photos and save ink.

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