Buy all ingredients right below the recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried, peeled fava beans
- 1/2 cup dried borlotti beans
- 1/3 cup dried chickpeas
- 7 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1 can passata
- 3 potatoes 1/2 cup chopped fennel
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fennel
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 2/3 cup couscous
- Some salt
- Some pepper
- Pecorino Romano for serving
Preparation
- 1Soak legumes: Soak fava beans, borlotti beans, and chickpeas in plenty of water for 8–16 hours (overnight). Then drain and rinse well.
- 2Sauté vegetables: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 20 seconds.
- 3Add tomatoes, potatoes, fennel, herbs, and the drained legumes. Fill with 6–8 cups of water, so everything is covered by about 2–3 cm. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, uncovered, for about 1.5 hours until the beans are soft. Add more water if needed.
- 4Add pasta: Stir in fregola (or couscous), salt, and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes until the pasta is done.
- 5Serve: Add 1 tbsp olive oil to each soup bowl, pour in the minestrone, and sprinkle with freshly grated Pecorino Romano.
Knuspr-Küche
It's best to serve these toasts immediately, while the cheese is still wonderfully melted and the pears are warm. A glass of chilled white wine pairs perfectly!