Bean And Farro Soup With Cabbage And Winter Squash Recipes

Steps:

• Drain the beans. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and cook the onion until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the carrot, celery and sage, and continue to cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add half the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, until limp, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, bouquet garni and 2 quarts water, or enough to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Stir in the squash, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the beans and squash are tender. Using an immersion blender, partially puree the soup to thicken it, or puree 2 cups in a blender. (If using a blender, do this in batches and cover the blender with a kitchen towel to avoid hot soup splashing). Return to the pot.
• While the soup is simmering, combine the farro or wheat berries and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), reduce the heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. If there is water left in the pan, drain.
• Heat the remaining oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes. Add salt to taste, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick, beginning to stick to the pan and delicious, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir into the soup. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Stir in the farro. Taste and adjust salt, and add lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Steps:

• Combine beans and farro in a bowl and cover with 1 1/2 quarts water. Soak for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or casserole over medium heat and add half the pancetta, if using, and half the onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and stir in half the garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add beans and farro, along with the soaking water. Add another 1 1/2 quarts water and bouquet garni and bring to a gentle boil. Skim foam, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet and add pancetta. (If not using pancetta, add the remaining onion and the carrot, celery and leeks now.) Cook, stirring often, until pancetta releases some of its fat. Add the remaining onion, and carrot, celery and leeks. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining garlic and the sage. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, add the tomatoes and juice, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly and the mixture is very fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir into the beans and farro and mix well.
• Add the tomato paste and salt to taste. (You will need a generous amount.) Continue to simmer 30 to 45 minutes, or until beans and farro are very tender and the soup thick, almost creamy. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove bouquet garni.
• Stir in the parsley and additional chopped sage if desired. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan over each bowl.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the squash cubes on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and coat lightly with olive oil. Roast until tender and lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add leeks, salt lightly and let cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until softened but still bright green. Remove leeks and set aside to stir into soup later.
• Add a little more oil to the pot, then add the onions. Season with salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo, garlic and red-pepper flakes, and cook for 2 minutes. Add cooked beans and 8 cups water, bean broth or vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and cook gently for about 30 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.
• Gently stir in the cooked squash, kale and reserved leeks, and cook for 10 minutes more on low heat. Add a little more broth or water if the potage seems too thick. Check seasoning and adjust as needed.
• To serve, ladle into bowls. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Cook the onion until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the carrot, celery and sage, and continue to cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about five minutes. Add half the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cabbage and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is limp, about 10 minutes. Drain the soaked beans, and add them to the pot, along with the squash, bouquet garni and 2 quarts water, or enough to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, add salt to taste and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the beans are tender. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard.
• While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a medium-size nonstick skillet. Add the remaining garlic and the rosemary. Cook for a half-minute to a minute until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes. Add salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick, beginning to stick to the pan and delicious. Stir into the soup along with the cooked farro. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, and add lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.