A basic, hearty Italian soup employing soup veg, local legumes and cereals such as barley or oats, elevated by pancetta.

Ingredients

For the soup
100g pancetta, chopped
150g onion, diced
100g carrots, sliced
100g celery, sliced
80g potato
20g tomato paste
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of rosemary
500g dried borlotti beans (soaked for 6 hours)

For the garnish
20g boiled barley
20g boiled sweet corn
20g fresh tomato, diced
20g cannellini beans
Basil
Extra virgin olive oil

Method

• Pour a little olive oil in a large, high aluminum pot and fry slowly the pancetta, chopped onions, carrots and celery over a low heat. Chop the potato and add it to the rest. Add the tomato paste.
• Add the borlotti beans. Over the mixture, pour 2.5l of cold water and bring to the boil on a high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a light simmer and leave for three hours.

• Put the rosemary leaves and the garlic in a little pot with 60ml of olive oil, bring it to boil for 3 minutes.

• When blending the soup add salt, generous black pepper and the garlic and rosemary olive oil.

• Serve with boiled cereals (such as barley) and fresh tomato on top, olive oil and some crunchy bread croutons.