Farmer's Soup

Name: Farmer's Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Dried lentils ½ cup; Dried chickpeas ½ cup; Dried fava beans ½ cup; Orzo ½ cup; Dried Borlotti beans ¼ cup; Dried red beans ¼ cup; Dried cannellini beans ¼ cup; Vegetable broth 4 ¼ cups; Celery 1 rib; Carrots 1; White onions 1; Garlic 1 clove; Bay leaves 1 leaf; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

it es br de fr

571

Calories per serving

Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Energy Kcal 571
Carbohydrates g 82
of which sugars g 7.8
Protein g 31.5
Fats g 13
of which saturated fat g 2.06
Fiber g 18.6
Sodium mg 1278

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Very low
Note plus 12 hours of soaking the legumes

PRESENTATION

Farmer's soup, or "zuppa del contadino," comes straight from the countryside of Italy. It's where simple ingredients turn into something really delicious. You know, this classic Italian dish gets its rich flavors from a base of soffritto—white onion, carrot and celery cooked until they are soft and sweet. Really, the heart of this farmer's soup is all about those dried legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas and fava beans. Adding farro, an ancient grain, gives it a hearty texture and nutty taste. Seriously good. It's filling enough to stand alone as a meal. And the taste? Bursting with a moist goodness that’s stuck around forever—especially when you toss in a grana cheese rind, which is pretty common in places like Umbria or Tuscany.

When the temperature drops, honestly, nothing beats a vegetable soup recipe like this. Imagine it bubbling away in some quaint Italian mountain town, or right in your own kitchen when you're craving something warm and comforting. Pretty simple. It doesn't need anything fancy—just quality, basic ingredients and a little time. Plus, these days, a pressure cooker can speed things up. For real, it is an easy soup recipe without losing those rich flavors. Pair it with toasted bread, or crostini di pane, to soak up that savory broth. Which is great. If you’re feeling a little indulgent, add more cheese for a taste that's even more creamy and satisfying.

The whole farm-to-table vibe of this farmer's soup echoes the rustic, home-style cooking of Italy, offering a real taste of its rural heritage with every bite. And here's the thing: This dish is more than just a meal; it's a comforting show straight from the Italian countryside. Perfect for anyone wanting to experience the genuine heart of rustic Italian cuisine. Pretty much. No question.

How to prepare Farmer's Soup

To make farmer's soup, you need to soak all the dried legumes: transfer the mixed beans 1, fava beans 2, chickpeas 3, and lentils into a large bowl,

cover the legumes with water 4 and let them rest overnight or for about 12 hours. After the necessary time 5, drain the legumes and rinse them under running water 6.

Meanwhile, thinly slice a stalk of celery 7, peel 8, and chop a carrot 9 and set the vegetables aside for the soffritto.

In a high-sided pot, place a drizzle of oil 10, finely chopped onion 11, a whole clove of garlic 12, and sauté for 5 minutes to soften the onion.

Now add the celery stalk 13 and chopped carrot 14, salt 15

pepper 16, pour a ladle of hot broth 17, to prepare the broth consult our Vegetable broth sheet. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and flavored. Remove the garlic clove with kitchen tongs 18

and add the legumes 19 and barley 20 to the pot. Mix well to combine the ingredients and flavor them with the soffritto, pour the hot broth 21

until all the vegetables are covered 22. Flavor the soup with a bay leaf 23 and continue cooking until the legumes and grains are soft, occasionally stirring gently with a wooden spoon to avoid mashing the legumes or simply shaking the pot. It will take about an hour and a half (if you use a pressure cooker, about 35 minutes will be sufficient). If the preparation dries out too much, extend it with hot broth, as the soup should not be dry. Your farmer's soup is ready 34, you can enjoy it hot or lukewarm.

Storage

The farmer's soup can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days in an airtight container. It is possible to freeze the preparation after cooking.

Tip

This is one of those timeless and delicious dishes that build a family's culinary history. For this reason, we absolutely recommend preparing it 'your way,' perhaps by flavoring it with parmesan crusts (or other hard cheese crusts you have at home), carefully choosing the vegetables (you can also use peas, green beans, and potatoes), and finally asking yourself: 'Better barley or farro?'.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Farmer's Soup

PRESENTATION

How to prepare Farmer's Soup

Storage

Tip

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