Luccan Farro Soup (Mark Bittman) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery ribs, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1 cup spelt or 1 cup barley
1 cup dried white bean, soaked for several hours or overnight
2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine, do not drain)
6 cups stock or 6 cups water, more as necessary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Put oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat; a minute later add onion, celery, carrots, a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook until vegetables are glossy and onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, and stir; add farro, beans, tomatoes and stock, and stir.
Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until farro and beans are tender, at least an hour, adding stock or water as necessary if mixture becomes too thick. Stir in parsley and basil (if using), then cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve with lots of Parmesan.