FARRO SOUP WITH BEANS, BROCCOLI, AND CHICKEN SAUSAGE

Ciao'd while nibbling peppermint bark. 

Happy Holidaze! My fingers ache from online shopping. My feet relentlessly remind me (at 3 AM) of time spent cooking and baking. My derrière seems to expand every day, no thanks to cocktailing and celebrating at various holiday soirées. It's time for a rejuvenating, healthy bowl of soup. And this one's a winner. 

Farro Soup with Beans, Broccoli, and Chicken Sausage is just the foundational recipe. You can add other vegetables (cubed potatoes, green beans, and peas come to mind). If you are of the vegetarian persuasion (shout out to Glo and Randee), you can take that route. Simply omit the sausage and use water or vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. Go for broke and add tubetti pasta for a farro-y take on pasta e fagioli. 

I'm giving a dinner party this weekend. Rather than serving an over-the-top menu, I'm thinking of offering this soup with warm crusty bread and a salad. For real. Cozy vibes all around! 

RECIPE

FARRO SOUP WITH BEANS, BROCCOLI, AND CHICKEN SAUSAGE

Borlotti beans, also known as cranberry beans, complement the earthy flavor of farro. Sure you can use canned beans (use 2 cups if you opt for this route) but the texture of the cooked dried beans is so much more substantial. You can also opt to make this a vegetarian soup. Simply omit the sausage and use water or vegetable stock rather than chicken stock. This is a hearty, satisfying soup that tastes even better on the second or third day. It freezes well, too.

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup dried borlotti (cranberry) beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces fully cooked chicken or turkey sausages, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup farro
One 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
8 cups chicken stock or water, more as necessary
2 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Place the beans in a large, heavy pot. Cover with water about 2 inches above the beans. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Let the beans soak in the water for 1 hour and then drain.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot along with a ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, scraping up any brown bits of sausage from the bottom of the pan, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the farro, beans, tomatoes, sausage, and stock. Bring to a boil, and then decrease the heat and simmer until the farro and beans are tender, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Add the broccoli florets and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and stir to combine.

Serve the soup and pass the Parmesan at the table.

ITALIAN RED BEANS AND RICE

Ciao'd while watching Monday Night Football.

Judging from this photo, no one can resist Red Beans and Rice. Back in the day, the iconic Creole dish was made on Monday using the bone from Sunday's ham supper for flavor. As the women went about their household chores (Monday was traditionally laundry day), the beans simmered leisurely on the stove. I'm guessing that the smoky, spicy, rich aroma made their tasks more enjoyable. I know it would for me. 

What's not to like?  Earthy, creamy kidney beans, smoky, often spicy sausage, and the salty ham bone that sends a rich ripple through the dish compose a triumvirate of tasty goodness. It's the kind of dish that even when you know you should stop eating, you insert your spoon again. And again. Red Beans and Rice brings warmth to the table on a cold day. And it's just the thing to feed a crowd.

So what's up with the Italian thing? My riff on Red Beans and Rice doesn't bastardize the original version. It tilts it just a bit. Rather than the kidney beans that form the base of the southern dish, I opted for Borlotti beans. Borlotti beans are related to kidney beans so this is not much of a stretch. That said, I appreciate the Borlotti's chestnutty flavor and creaminess.  I replaced the bacon with pancetta which does take the smokiness down a notch but its quiet sweetness contributes a subtle counterpoint to the saltiness of its fellow ingredients. Basil, oregano and a generous dose of garlic round out the deliciousness. 

A word about the rice.  The bean mixture is traditionally served atop long-grained white rice. When I cook the rice, I toss it in butter with a dash of salt and pepper to lightly toast it prior to adding the liquid. Toasting refers to a light pre-cooking of the grain to enhance its flavor and aroma rather than imparting color to it.  Some of you may recognize this as a technique employed when making risotto. Italian meet Creole. It's so nice when diverse cultures can get along. 

RECIPE

ITALIAN RED BEANS AND RICE

This dish cooks at a leisurely pace but the prep is a cinch. Cook the beans until the mixture is less of a soup and more of a creamy, slightly thickened stew. If you prefer a thicker consistency, remove a cup of the beans, mash them and return to the pot. The saltiness of the meats will naturally flavor the beans. Wait until the end of cooking to adjust the seasoning, if needed. 

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound dried Borlotti beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as Andouille, cut into 1-inch slices
1/4 pound diced pancetta
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 ham hock, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds
Kosher salt, to taste
Chopped green onions or parsley, for garnish
6 to 8 cups hot, cooked long-grain rice

Rinse beans, place in a large deep pot, cover with water by two inches and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, cover, remove from the heat and soak 1 hour. Drain.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat is rendered. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, black pepper, and the red pepper, if using, along with the basil, oregano and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans and ham hock. Add 8 cups of water. 

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove the ham hock, pick off the meat and add to the pot. Taste for seasoning. Serve over hot, cooked long-grain rice topped with green onions or parsley, if desired.