Zuppa De Farro

I've been in the kitchen again! This time making soup. 

From All Recipes:

"Farro is a delicious alternative to rice or pasta in this Tuscan-inspired soup, made with chicken broth, pancetta and tomatoes, and seasoned with garlic, basil and thyme. It's easy to make and it's absolutely delicious!"

• 1 1/8 cups uncooked whole cereal farro grain or pearl barley
• 4 ounces pancetta or deli ham, chopped
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Place the farro in a large bowl. Add water to cover and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the farro in a strainer.
2. Place the farro and 8 cups of water in a 6-quart saucepot and heat over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Add the pancetta, onion, garlic and thyme to the saucepot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the pancetta is well browned. Add the farro, broth, tomatoes, basil and black pepper and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with the cheese, if desired.

I couldn't get my hands on any "farro" so I used the pearled barley which kinda reminds me of oatmeal. Except it isn't sweet at least not the way I make it. But this was a pretty good soup. And it is low on calories. It was pretty easy to make too. Instead of pancetta or ham I used turkey bacon. 

If you like italian soups go ahead and give this one a try!!