Sardinian Longevity Minestrone Soup with Fregola.
Often called Sardinian longevity minestrone, this nutritious one-pot legume and vegetable rich soup is typical of an area in Sardinia described as one of the world’s blue zones. A cozy and nourishing recipe Sardinian minestrone soup can be made with a variety of garden vegetables but always contains beans and fregola pasta.
Servings: 6
Calories: 460kcal
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot
- 1 chopping board
- 1 sharp knife
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white beans dried and soaked or fava beans
- 4 ounces chickpeas dried and soaked
- 4 ounces borlotti beans (cranberry beans) dried and soaked
- 3 carrots washed and chopped
- 3 stalks celery washed and chopped
- 1 yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 3 yellow potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds or 1 fresh fennel
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 handful fresh basil wash and chopped
- 1 handful fresh parsley washed and chopped
- 14 ounces canned peeled tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1 bunch fresh chard washed and stalks removed
- 4 ounces fregola or Israeli couscous
- black pepper and salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Instructions
The day before
- Soak the fava or white beans, cranberry beans,and chickpeas in a large pan of water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse well.
Prepare the ingredients.
- Prepare all the vegetables: wash and chop the carrots and celery into small pieces, peel and chop the garlic and onion, peel and cube the potatoes and wash the greens and herbs. Wash and chop the fresh fennel (if using)
Make the Sardinian minestrone
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel seeds (if using) cook until fragrant.
- Add in the tomatoes, potatoes, fresh fennel (if using), parsley, and basil, as well as the drained beans and chickpeas. Pour in enough water or vegetable broth so that everything is submerged by 1 inch (2.5cms)
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly for about 90 minutes, uncovered, until the beans are cooked. Add more water as necessary if the mixture gets too thick. Add the washed chard leaves (if using) and allow them to wilt.
- Stir in the fregola pasta, salt, and pepper. Add a couple of cups water if the soup seems too dry. Continue simmering uncovered for about 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
- Serve your Sardinian longevity minestrone in bowls with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and some grated pecorino romano cheese if using.
Notes
NB Italian pecorino is made with animal rennet so it’s not vegetarian. To keep this recipe vegetarian use a vegetarian parmesan cheese or omit the cheese.
This longevity soup tastes even better the next day! So it's worth making extra and keeping it in the fridge in an airtight container. It will stay good for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 255mg | Potassium: 1663mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 8410IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 7mg