Recipes » Soup and Stews » Spelt and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• For beans
• 2 cups dried white beans
• 12 cups water
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 fresh sage leaves
•  
• 2 large leeks
• 1 cup spelt (emmer)* or wheat berries*, soaked in water to cover by 2 inches, 3 hours and drained in a sieve
• 6 cups water
• 1 medium red onion, chopped fine
• 1 medium carrot, Chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• Cilantro
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus drizzling on soup
• Salt and Pepper

Preparation

Make beans:

In a 6-quart kettle simmer beans with 12 cups water, garlic, and sage, covered, until tender, about 1 ½ hours.
 Drain beans in a colander set over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid and 1 cup beans, and in a blender puree remaining beans with 1 cup reserved cooking liquid.

Split leeks lengthwise and wash well. Finely chop white and pale green parts and tie dark green parts with string in 1 or 2 bundles.

In a large saucepan simmer spelt (or wheat berries) in 6 cups salted water with leek bundles, covered, until spelt is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain spelt, discarding liquid and leek bundles.

While spelt is cooking, in a 6-quart heavy kettle cook chopped leeks, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and herbs in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add bean puree, reserved whole beans, 3 cups reserved bean cooking liquid, pepper, and sea salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.

Drains spelt in a sieve and add to soup. Simmer soup 10 minutes and thin with some of remaining cooking liquid if necessary.

Drizzle with additional oil.