Fast Cannellini Farro Soup

Changeable weather has brought a deep hankering for comforting soups, whether as an addition to dinner or a centerpiece at lunch.  A friend introduced me to a delicious cannellini bean soup with sage that she made from soaking the dried beans and making a stock with leek stems.  Frankly, I just haven't  had the combination of ingredients and time to try it for myself.  So today I took a shortcut using what I had in the house.  It's another argument for having a range of ingredients sitting around.


Cannellini Farro Bean Soup - Fast Version

large can (at least 2 cups worth) of unsalted cannellini beans
large onion (at least 2 cups chopped)
1/3 cup farro or barley
6-10 cloves garlic
3-8 sprigs fresh parsley
1.5 Tblsp dried sage
2-3 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
4 cups water (you'll need 1 cup of this for cooking farro)

1. Cook the chopped onion and garlic with the herbs in about 2 cups water in a stock pot.
2. Cook the farro in a separate small pot, at least 1 cup water.
3. Pour the beans and another cup of water into the soup stock when the onions soften, simmering for another 15 minutes. Puree this.

4. Add the cooked farro and any leftover cooking liquid from that. If you want it thinner, add a little water, if not, leave it viscous. The farro will be little chewy morsels in a luscious creamy broth -- good source of protein and fiber among other things!  Serves 6 filling bowls!

Cannellini Farro Soup Serves 4 Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (425g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 204 10% Total Fat 1g 2% Saturated Fat 0g 1% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 651mg 27% Total Carbohydrate 39g 13% Dietary Fiber 9g 34% Sugars 4g 0% Protein 10g 20% Vitamin A 3% • Vitamin C 39% Calcium 14% • Iron 23% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.