Barley & Farro Soup

December is National Comfort Food month! As winter weather sets in we like enjoy a heart-warming soup. Our version comes from the north-eastern Italian regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia & nearby Trentino Alto Adige. Fall vegetables, pearl barley, farro (spelt), red lentils & our Thanksgiving turkey make for a flavorful, fortified, nutrient rich meal. Drizzled Villa Gabriella organic extra virgin olive oil is the perfect finish for a healthy & delicious soup.

Serves 4

Easy Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 cup Villa Gabriella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil +  2 tablespoons
  • 1 ½ cups of dried pearl barley or other legumes such as spelt, red lentils or split peas
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, turkey, pancetta, country or boiled ham cut into cubes
  • 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
  • 1 medium potato peeled & diced
  • 2 carrots peeled & diced
  • 1 full rib of celery diced
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 parsnip chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon each dried rosemary, sage & thyme
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked ground black or white pepper
  • Optional 2-3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Simple Directions:

  1. Place the legumes in a soup pot, add water to cover ingredients by approx. 3 inches.
  2. Cover & bring water to a slow, steady simmer & cook approx. 1 hour or until legumes are tender but not too soft.
  3. As legumes cook, heat oil in a medium pan or skillet, add celery, onion & sauté until both are soft & golden, not brown & set aside.
  4. When legumes are done, add onion, celery, potato, carrot, broth, cooked meat, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt & pepper.
  5. If mixture is too dense, add more broth or water.
  6. Simmer, uncovered over a low flame, approx.  30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Season to taste with salt & pepper
  8. Drizzle 2 table spoons of olive oil or to taste
  9. Add grated cheese right before serving
  10. Serve & enjoy!

*N.B. Soup can be made 1 or 2 days in advance, store in a covered container up to 1 week in the refrigerator

Tried, Tasted & True!

At Villa Gabriella Organic our team tries & tastes every recipe we feature.  While we love to share our family recipes & those of talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Gabriella recipes. So try them out in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what you think. We welcome your comments & feedback!

Grazie da Team VILLA GABRIELLA

clientservice@villagabriellallc.com

RecipesMorgan Shepardsoup, recipe, winter recipe, comfort foodComment