Barley Recipe − Zuppa di Orzo e Fagioli (Bean and Barley Soup)

A hearty and filling Italian soup packed with vegetables, pancetta, cannellini beans, and pearl barley.

Ingredients

• ½ pound pearl barley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
• ¾ onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided
• water to cover
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or as desired

Cooking Directions

1. Place barley into a bowl and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until slightly crisp, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir onion, carrot, and celery into pancetta and cook until vegetables are slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Mix half of the beans into vegetable-pancetta mixture and pour in enough water to cover; stir in barley and remaining beans. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring regularly and adding more water if soup gets too thick.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Serve soup with rosemary leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Nutrition Facts

• calories535.9
• carbohydrateContent77.2 g
• cholesterolContent5 mg
• fatContent17.6 g
• fiberContent19.4 g
• proteinContent17.6 g
• saturatedFatContent2.8 g
• sodiumContent1739.1 mg
• sugarContent3.3 g