On a cold February day…why not try something new- Crema Di Fagioli E Orzo, Feb. 2010

Crema Di Fagioli E Orzo

On cold snowy days like the ones we have been having in NY, to me the ultimate comfort food is a delicious, savory soup, with some type of crunchy hot bread, a glass of wine, and WA-LA…instant comfort.  Of course, if you have a fire place this creates helps with creating the “moment”.   So on this particular day a recipe that I had recently read in my Jan/Feb issue of  ”La Cucina Italiana Magazine, came to mind.

There was an article all about soups, called “Vellutate”…that just made me we want to get out my  food processor and Le Crousset,  and start making soups.  I will make them all, one by one because they look so great in the photos. Ok….I will at least attempt to make them all.

This soup was relatively easy to make and took about 3 hours, a little longer than the recipe called for, but I love well cooked barley.  It was filling and lasted in the fridge up to 2 days later, for a light lunch.  It’s even elegant enough to serve for a dinner party, the creamy texture of the pureed beans, and the seasoned barley is a great alternative to pasta. I added red pepper flakes instead of marjoram, and drizzled our Magaria Limited Edition Olive Oil for an extra  kick of flavor over the finshed soup. 

My husband and my 11 month son really enjoyed this soup and the best part is that it’s healthy!

See the full recipe at http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/cannellini-bean-puree-with-barley-

Buon Appetito!