Minestra Di Fagioli

Yield: 6 servings

This soup is made with beans and whole-grain hulled barley.

The barley enriches the soup with a nutty flavor and more fiber.

1 cup dried great northern beans

½ cup dried hull-less whole-grain barley (not pearled or semi-pearled barley)

6 cups (1½ quarts) vegetable broth

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 1 cup)

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped (about ¼ cup)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon ground sage

1 (4-inch) fresh rosemary sprig

1 bay leaf

½ cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soak the beans and barley in a large bowl of water at room temperature for 8

hours or up to 12 hours (that is, overnight). Drain in a colander set in the sink

and rinse well.

Put the beans and barley in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the broth, potatoes,

onion, celery, carrot, garlic, basil, sage, rosemary, and bay leaf. Set over high

heat and bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly until the beans and barley

are tender, about 1 hour. Discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaf; stir in the

parsley, oil, salt, and pepper before serving.

Tip: To enhance the flavors, sauté the onion, garlic, basil, and sage in 1 tablespoon

olive oil until the onion is translucent but not browned, then add to the other

ingredients before cooking.

Tip: The soup freezes exceptionally well