Barley Minestrone Soup

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PRESENTATION

Barley minestrone is a traditional and time-honored dish originating from Trentino-Alto Adige region. It's crafted using pearled barley, finely diced vegetables, and smoked bacon, resulting in a truly unique and delightful flavor profile. This dish is notably heartier compared to the classic minestrone, thanks to the addition of chopped meat, making it a substantial and satisfying one-pot meal.

You might also want to explore the Genoese minestrone, a delicious variation that boasts the rich flavors of pesto!

INGREDIENTS

Pearl barley 5.3 oz (150 g)
Carrots 1
Celery 1 stalk
Onions 1
Potatoes 1
Bay leaves 2 leaves
Chives 4 sprigs - to chop
Black pepper to taste
Fine salt to taste
Butter 1.4 oz (40 g)
Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
Smoked pancetta 3.5 oz (100 g)
Meat broth 4 ⅓ cups (1 l)
To season
Grana Padano PDO cheese to taste - grated
Preparation

How to prepare Barley Minestrone Soup

To prepare barley minestrone, start by peeling the vegetables (onion, carrot, celery, potato) and cutting them into small squares 1. Place the butter in a saucepan and when it's melted, add the onion and let it soften 2; then add the carrot and celery to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes 3.

Add the diced smoked bacon 4 and the barley, which you will have rinsed under running water and drained 5. Pour in 3 or 4 ladles of beef broth to the barley 6.

Then, add the bay leaves 7 and let the minestrone simmer over low heat until the barley is fully cooked. Be sure to add hot broth as needed. About 10 minutes before the cooking is complete, add diced potatoes.

Once it's cooked, turn off the heat, season with pepper, add the chopped chives 8, extra virgin olive oil 9, and adjust the salt to taste.

Serve immediately, and don't forget to bring some grated Grana Padano cheese to the table!

How to store

Store the barley minestrone in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2-3 days.

Tips

You can substitute pancetta with a ham bone or a piece of ham hock.

You can replace chives with chopped parsley.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.