Farro Soup on a Chilly Night

Farro or Emmer tastes like a heartier barley to me. Maybe because it's brown.

Anyway, I was cleaning out my kitchen the other day and a glorious soup was born. It’s a savory soup you can really get your teeth around, and pairs delightfully with a serious Chardonnay or otherwise punchy white wine. Steer clean of oaky stuff as it could overtake the flavor. I also like a Liguria Vermentino or Cinque Terre. Balanced, but with a healthy acidity. You’re going to need it to counter the slick pancetta (bacon) fat.

Farro Soup
Yields 4 large portions

1 1/2 cups soaked farro
1-1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
3 strips of pancetta or un-smoked bacon
1 large carrot, grated
fresh sage leaves
1 garlic clove (optional)
olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste


Procedure

In a soup pot heat warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add grated carrot, sage, pancetta (or bacon) and some pepper. When carrots are tender add the drained Farro. Stir over very low heat for five minutes. Add tomatoes, a teaspoon of salt and enough water to cover the mixture. Cover for five minutes. Stir continuously, adding water as needed until the faro is puffy and tomatoes have broken apart. Cover for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often.

Salt to taste and remove from heat. Remove the pancetta and allow soup to thicken (about 10 minutes). Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.