Sardinian Minestrone
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
- 1 onion, peeled
- 5 stalks celery
- 4 carrots
- Extra virgin olive oil for frying
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 500g/1.1lb potatoes, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
- 400g/14oz tin chickpeas, drained
- 400g/14oz tin fava beans, drained
- 400g/14oz tin pinto beans, drained
- 400g/14oz tin diced tomatoes, drained
- 8 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 cup fregola or pearl barley
- 2 chillies, chopped (optional)
- 50g/1.7ozs grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
Step 1 - Finely dice the onion, celery and carrot for the soffritto (I put it all into a food processor as it is a lot of chopping otherwise). Heat a very large pot (at least 5 litre or 10.5pint capacity) on medium heat and add oil and sauté until soft and fragrant for around 8 minutes or so, adding more oil when needed. While it is sauteeing dice the garlic and then add it in once the soffritto is done and sauté garlic for 1 minute.
Step 2 - Add the potatoes, fennel, chickpeas, fava beans, pinto beans, tinned tomatoes and 6 cups of the broth (reserving the other 2 cups as your pot will be very full). Add in bay leaves, oregano and chilli and bring to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes until potatoes and fennel are soft. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth and bring to a simmer. Then add fregola or pearl barley making sure to break up any clumps and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with pecorino cheese to grate on top.