When the temperature takes a dip, there's nothing quite like a hearty Italian soup to warm you up. This nourishing soup made with Grana Padano, spelt, and broad beans is simple yet deeply flavorful — the perfect companion when you're craving a comforting and delicious meal. A savory base is enhanced by slowly simmering Grana Padano rind with stock and toasted spelt, creating a rich and satisfying flavor. Complemented by the tender bite of blanched broad beans, pan-roasted spring onions, and fragrant fresh basil leaves, each comforting spoonful of this robust soup is here to embrace you in warmth, all long winter.
Recipe by Danilo Cortellini, courtesy of Grana Padano
Difficulty
Medium
Serves
4 people
Preparation time
45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
80 g piece of Grana Padano Rind
1 small onion, chopped
150 g of spelt
300 g of broad beans (of the pod, frozen works well too)
2 l of vegetable stock (or water)
1 small bunch of fresh basil
1 small red chili (optional)
8 spring onions, well washed
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Blanch the broad beans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes and cool them down in iced water to retain the color. If you have the time and patience, remove the skin from the broad beans for an optimal result, but don’t worry if you don’t as they work well anyway, they might be just a little bit tougher, but still delicious. If you have used fresh broad beans, the pod can be used for the stock.
Sweat the chopped onion in a casserole pan on low heat with the olive oil, some chopped chili (to taste) and a pinch of salt. Once soft and lightly golden, add the spelt and toast it like a risotto for a couple of minutes. Now add half of the stock and the Grana Padano rind and simmer the spelt for about 15 minutes or the suggested cooking time of the spelt package. Add the stock accordingly to the cooking time, the longer it cooks, the more liquid you will need to add to it the consistency of soup.
Halfway through the spelt cooking time, dress the spring onions with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil and roast them quickly on a griddle pan for 2 minutes on each side. Now chop them roughly and add them to the soup. This is a step to add an extra layer of flavor, if you prefer to keep it easier, simply chop the spring onions and add.
When the spelt is cooked but still al dente, add the broad beans, refill a bit of stock if necessary and bring it back to boil. Remove the Grana Padano rind from the soup and chop it into little squares with a sharp knife while still hot, then put them back into the soup. Season to taste and serve in large bowls with an extra sprinkle of grated Grana Padano and a few fresh basil leaves.
