Soups
La Valletta Minestrone
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Loading ...- Vegetarian alternative: Use vegetable broth instead of water to cook the beans; add 2-3 chopped garlic cloves in the vegetable mix (omitting the bacon); garnish soup with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and grated pecorino romano cheese.
- In winter: Use canned tomatoes or a mix of high-quality tomato paste and broth. (Why?)
Serves 4
1 package La Valletta Dea Cupra Beans
Extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled, in 1/2″ dice
1 celery in 1/2″ dice
1 onion in 1/2″ dice
1/2 lb bacon (about 5 strips)*, sliced into strips
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Pecorino romano (preferred) or parmigiano reggiano
In a large bowl, soak the beans in water for an hour. Discard the water by pouring the contents into a fine-mesh colander. Rinse the beans in the colander briefly to remove any grit.
Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water by two inches. Cover the beans and put over high heat to boil. Once it boils, remove the cover and reduce the heat to medium-high. The beans should take about 30 minutes to cook from this point.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and bacon. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and bacon, and stir periodically until they soften (do not add salt as it will make the vegetables release water and break down their texture).
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until they soften.
Try the beans. If they are still quite firm, turn the heat off under the vegetable mix and set aside. If the beans are al dente, or close to being ready, add the vegetable mix, salt, and pepper, and let cook 5-10 minutes.
To serve, top with a generous amount of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil (recommended: Vicopisano extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany for its robust peppery flavor).
*The original recipe calls for 1/4 lb pancetta and 1/4 lb prosciutto instead of the 1/2 lb of bacon I have substituted, so it is up to you which kind of pork you prefer to use.
Cook’s notes:
- I strongly recommend using authentic pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano with this dish. It’s part of the reason the soup develops a creamy texture, and provides added salinity (plus, it’s just plain delicious compared to imitations!)
- Any bean soup is more complex the next day when flavors have been allowed to marinate, so this is a great dish to make ahead of time. Also, beans tend to absorb broth overnight so feel free to add a little water or chicken broth to reconstitute it. Remember to adjust the seasoning if adding water.
March 25th, 2011 on 3:32 pm
how nice!!! it’s not raining in ny, nevertheless, as i read this, i stood up and went to my pantry to see whether i had the ingredients. I PROMISE, i did it!!! back from the pantry, i only have farro. can i use the farro, instead? say yes, i really feel like a soup, tonight! grazie!!!
March 25th, 2011 on 3:40 pm
You can certainly give it a shot, though I don’t know if farro will achieve the same creaminess that this unique mix of La Valletta beans does – I think it’s from the pearled barley. Let us know if you come up with a good recipe with farro!