Zuppa di Farro Recipe

A Tuscan Soup made with Grain from Ancient Rome

Oct 5, 2008 Rebecca Ford

Farro is an ancient Roman grain. In this recipe from Tuscany, it's used to make a hearty soup.

There’s nothing like a thick soup to warm you up on a winter day. And Tuscan soups are particularly satisfying: they’re cooked slowly – so are full of flavour, and are easy to make. Traditional soups from Tuscany are also packed with fresh vegetables and beans, so make a healthy meal.

Spelt - or Farro

As well as ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic and beans, some Tuscan soups are made with spelt or farro. These ancient grains were grown in Roman times and are not just nutritious, but are considered less likely to affect people who have an intolerance to modern wheat. Farro is emmer wheat and not strictly the same as spelt. However, these days, the two are often confused and you can use either to make a Tuscan soup.

Grain from Ancient Rome

Farro has a nutty texture and releases energy slowly. It is said to be high in protein – and was a staple of the Roman empire. Apparently Pliny wrote that the gods loved to receive poor people’s offerings of salted farro, and preferred the grain to richer delicacies offered by wealthy worshippers.

Tuscan Recipe

This recipe for Farro - or Spelt - Soup has been provided by a hotel in the Maremma, Antica Casale di Scansano. It serves a number of traditional Tuscan soups in its restaurant. The recipe is provided just as a guide – vary amounts of ingredients to taste.

Zuppa di Farro Recipe

Ingredients

2-3 large potatoes
8 oz cooked beans (cannellini or borlotti beans are good; use a tin if you don’t have time to cook from scratch)
3-4 oz cooked farro or spelt (follow instructions on the packet, it will probably take around 30 minutes if already cracked; longer if no)
2-3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
A few leaves of fresh sage
2 pints vegetable stock
Good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

Slice the potatoes thinly. Saute them in olive oil, adding the garlic after a few minutes.
After about 10 minutes, add the cooked beans, the cooked faro, the tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, then tear the fresh sage leaves into small pieces and add them to the broth.
Turn up the heat until the soup is gently bubbling. Then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours. You might well need to add more stock (or use hot water) depending.
When the soup is ready, serve it with grated cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe for Ribollita

The copyright of the article Zuppa di Farro Recipe in Italian Cuisine is owned by Rebecca Ford. Permission to republish Zuppa di Farro Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Farro is an ancient Roman grain