Toasted Spelt Soup with Escarole and White Beans
A hearty Italian-inspired soup featuring toasted spelt, pancetta, and a medley of vegetables in a flavorful broth. Finished with tender escarole and cannellini beans, this warming soup is topped with shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
- •1 medium onion
- •1 small fennel bulb
- •1 whole carrot
- •1 stalk celery
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •3 ounces pancetta
- •1 cup spelt
- •2 cloves garlic
- •to taste kosher salt and pepper
- •1 tablespoon tomato paste
- •¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- •12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- •½ head escarole
- •1 can cannellini beans
- •to taste shaved Parmesan
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with fennel, carrot, and celery, placing vegetables in bowl with onion.
10 min
- 2.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add spelt and cook, stirring often, until grains are a couple of shades darker, about 3 minutes.
6 min
- 3.
Add onion, fennel, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook until paste is slightly darkened, about 1 minute.
9 min
- 4.
Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until spelt is tender, 60-70 minutes. Stir escarole and beans into soup and cook until escarole is wilted and beans are warmed though, about 4 minutes.
74 min
- 5.
Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with Parmesan.
2 min
- 6.
DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.