Spelt, white bean and pancetta soup

Author: Chrissy Freer - B App Sc Nut, Grad Cert Human Nut

Photographer: John Paul Urizar

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Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat with a delicious nutty taste and slightly chewy texture. It is gentler on digestion than regular wheat, with more protein and fats than common wheat.

Serves: 4

Time to make: 1 hr 5 mins

Hands-on time: 20 mins

Ingredients

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2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
100g pancetta, fat trimmed, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup wholegrain spelt
4 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
200g green beans, sliced
1 cup frozen baby peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

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1 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery and the pancetta, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until light golden. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

2 Add spelt, stock and 1 cup of water to pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes, or until al dente.

3 Add cannellini beans, green beans and the peas; simmer for 5 minutes, or until vegies are just tender. Season with cracked black pepper.

4 Serve the soup sprinkled with parsley and lemon zest.

Variations

If you can’t find spelt, substitute it with freekeh, farro or barley.

HFG tip

Spelt takes around 40 minutes to cook and can be used in soups, salads, stews and pilafs.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 336cal

Kilojoules 1403kJ

Protein 23.7g

Total fat 8.7g

–Saturated fat 2.5g

Carbohydrates 33.4g

–Sugars 7.6g

Dietary fibre 12.3g

Sodium 699mg

Calcium 97mg

Iron 4.2mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.

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