The Autumn days of October when the air is crisp, the trees are changing colors and the weather is unpredictable. Today we had some rain in Italy and what better way to welcome Autumn and cozy up in the house than to cook up some hearty soup. Farro is quite popular in Italy and is grown in the Northern regions such Umbria and Tuscany and mine, the Lazio Region.
Even though it sounds trendy, it is an ancient grain even found in the tombs of the Egyptians. Zuppa d’farro is a hearty speciality from Lucca, Italy and is traditionally served with lentils, sausage, mushroom, kale and squash.
My recipe is hearty with beef, mushrooms, red wine, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and herbs such as thyme and rosemary. In America you can substitute barley for the farro although Italians will be quick to say it is not the same effect. Either way, you will love it as you cozy up indoors or enjoy it on the balcony on a sunny fall day.
Hearty Beef & Farro Soup (Zuppa d’manzo e farro)
Ingredients:
1 pound beef cubes (1/2 kilo)
1 onion
3 carrots
3 stalks celery
1/2 pound mushrooms
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups of beef stock or water
a few sprigs of thyme
a few sprigs of rosemary
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup farro
1 large potato peeled and chopped.
3 tablespoons cornstarch and a little water
Instructions:
Brown the beef in a little olive oil until golden brown all around.
Add chopped onions and cook until they are golden brown.
Add chopped carrots, celery and mushrooms.
Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and chopped garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
Add red wine and reduce slightly to allow the alcohol to cook off and the wine to infuse flavor into the meat and veggies..
Add broth (I used our beef bone broth and it added wonderful flavor) or water. Cover and cook until meat and vegetables are cooked and tender.
Add the farro or barley along with the peeled cubed potatoes and continue to cook another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Stir together the cornstarch and watcher in a small cup and pour into the soup to thicken. Taste for flavor, add more salt, pepper and thyme if desired.
Serve and enjoy.
You may want to try one of our other dinner recipes from our Archives:
Babaganush (Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant Dip) Published July 29, 2017
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce (Published August 18, 2017)
Saltimbocca (Roman Style Veal Scallopini) (Published February 18, 2018)
Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Salad (Bun Bo Xoa) Published March 12, 2018)
Spiced Chickpea Salad with Roasted Cauliflower (Published April 22, 2018)
Steamed Mussels and Fettuccine (Cozze e Fettuccine) Published May 4, 2019)
Shrimp Risotto (Risotto alla Gamberi) Published June 2, 2018)
Pasta Carbonara (Published May 12, 2018)
Arancini (Italian Fried Rice Balls) Published June 4, 2018)
Ossobuco alla Milanese (Milan Style Veal Shanks & Saffron Risotto) Published June 20, 2018)
Lasagna Bolognese (Published Aug 3, 2018)
Kung Pao Chicken (Published August 23, 2018)
Eggplant Parmesan (Published August 29, 2018)
Gyoza (Potstickers or Chinese Dumplings) Published August 27,2018)
Cacio e Pepe (Published August 28, 2018)
Southern Fried Chicken (published September 11, 2018)
Shrimp Tacos (Published September 19, 2018)
Pesto Genovese (published September 21, 2018
Beef Bone Broth (published September 24, 2018)
The Classic American Hamburger (published September 25, 2018)
Oven Roasted Herb Chicken (published September 29, 2018)
Pumpkin Ravioli (published October 2, 2018)
Desserts:
Cherry Pie (published May 20, 2017)
Homemade Berry Pie (published July 23, 2017)
Almond Roca (published February 22, 2018)
Homemade Banana Cream Pie (published May 10, 2018)
Cannoli (published August 3, 2017)
Easy Authentic Tiramasu (published May 3, 2018)
Ooey Gooey Blonde Brownies (published August 11, 2018)
Old Fashioned Peach Crisp (published August 1, 2018
Classic Canned Peaches (published August 8, 2018)
Noyaux (Almond Extract made from stone fruit pits) Published August 7, 2017
Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Published May 25, 2017
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies (published September 30, 2018)
Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Waffles (published August 12, 2017)
Dutch Babies (published May 30, 2018)
Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce (published Sept 23)
Side DIshes:
Festive Pineapple Sesame Coleslaw (published September 14, 2018)
Italian Roasted Vegetable Platter (published September 13, 2018)
Pear Gorgonzola Salad (published September 26, 2018)
Canning and Preserving:
Noyaux (French bitter almond extract from stone fruit) (Published Aug 7, 2017)
Sweet & Spicy Pickles (Published July 6, 2017)
Canned Peaches (Published August 23, 2018)
Ricotta from Powdered Milk (Published Aug 5, 2017)
Candied Orange Peel (Published September 12, 2018)
Articles from living in Italy and California:
A Morning Run in Nettuno (Published September 10, 2017)
A Visit to Castelli Romani (Published September 13, 2017)
Dinner for Six (Published October 1, 2017)
Italian Cooking School (Published October 8, 2017)
Culinary Tour of Napoli (Published November 17, 2017)
Changing Seasons in Italy (Published November 25, 2017)
Our Trip to Englands Cotswolds (Published January 12, 2018)
Cooking with Pasquale (Published January 28, 2018)
A Tour of the Garden of Ninfa (Published May 7, 2018)
A Trip to Montefiascone (Published May 17, 2018)
San Gimignano, a visit to a Tuscan Hill Town (Published June 9, 2018)
Tuscan Hot Springs of San Filippo & Saturnia (Published June 13, 2018)
Articles about Tiny House “Homesteading” in California:
The Beginning of a Blog (Published May 18, 2017)
The Cherry Tree (Published May 20, 2017)
How to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans (Published May 22, 2017)
Successful Square Foot Gardening (Published May 23, 2017)
Yosemite (Published June 7, 2017)
My Tiny House (Published June 15, 2017)
Making Noyaux (French Bitter Almond Extract from Stone fruit pits) Published August 7, 2017)
Sweet & Spicy Pickles (Published July 21, 2017
Classic Canned Peaches (Published August 6, 2018)
Ricotta from Powdered Milk (Published Aug 5, 2017)
