Italian Borlotti Bean, Pumpkin & Farro Soup Recipe – Italian Special
Warm-up on chilly evenings with this hearty, healthy bean & pumpkin soup. Serve this low-calorie meal with a chunk of fresh bread for dunking.
- Prep Time15 min
- Cook Time35 min
- Total Time50 min
Italian Borlotti Bean, Pumpkin & Farro Soup Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, cut into chunks
- 750g pumpkin or squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into small chunks
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1.2l chicken or vegetable stock
- 75g farro or mixed grains
- 50-80g parmesan rinds
- 400g can borlotti beans, drained
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
How to Make Italian Borlotti Bean, Pumpkin & Farro Soup
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, celery, pumpkin or squash, and carrot and cook until the vegetables have some colour. Add a splash of water and some seasoning, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook over a very low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the tomato purée, stock, mixed grains, parmesan rinds, if using, and some seasoning. Simmer for about 15 minutes (or until the grains are cooked), adding the beans for the final 5 minutes. In the last few minutes, add the spinach, then taste for seasoning.
If you want to use sage, fry the leaves whole in a little olive oil before adding to the soup. If you prefer to use parsley, you can just add it directly to the soup.
Serve with shavings of parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top of each bowlful. Remove the parmesan rinds and serve.
