Authentic home cooking from Italy, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Italy as Zuppa di fregola sarda con manzo e verdura

Sardinian Fregola Soup with Beef and Vegetables

Name: Sardinian Fregola Soup with Beef and Vegetables
Yield: Serves 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup large fregola pasta (about 110 grams); 1 1/8 pounds beef chuck roast (about 500 grams); 14 ounces lacinato kale (about 400 grams); 2 potatoes; 1 medium onion; 2 small plum tomatoes (for color); 6 1/3 cups beef broth (about 1.5 liters); 1 can red kidney beans, steamed (about 14 ounces/400 grams), drained; 1/4 cup dry white wine (about 60 ml); as needed Extra-virgin olive oil,; as needed Black pepper,; 1 chili pepper (optional)

Tony Mazzanobile @tonyliebt_kocht

When the weather starts to get colder, I crave soups and stews. To keep things interesting, I use whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. This time, I also had a piece of beef chuck roast that I originally planned to use for a pot roast, but ended up using it in this soup instead.

Tony Mazzanobile @tonyliebt_kocht

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Ingredients

Serves 6 servings

3/4 cuplarge fregola pasta (about 110 grams)
1 1/8 poundsbeef chuck roast (about 500 grams)
14 ounceslacinato kale (about 400 grams)
2potatoes
1medium onion
2small plum tomatoes (for color)
6 1/3 cupsbeef broth (about 1.5 liters)
1 canred kidney beans, steamed (about 14 ounces/400 grams), drained
1/4 cupdry white wine (about 60 ml)
as neededExtra-virgin olive oil,
as neededBlack pepper,
1chili pepper (optional)

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Steps

1

Pat the beef dry with paper towels after letting it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. Slice it into 1/2-inch thick pieces, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.
2

Wash the kale and strip the leaves from the tough center stems (save the stems for another soup or pasta dish if you like). Bring a pot of salted water with a splash of oil to a boil. Add the kale leaves and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess water, roughly chop, and set aside.
3

Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and slice them lengthwise into strips. In a small skillet, heat a swirl of olive oil with a clove of garlic and a chili pepper (optional). Sauté until the garlic sizzles, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt, cook until flavorful and slightly reduced, then remove the garlic and chili pepper. Set the tomatoes aside.
4

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat a swirl of olive oil. Once hot, brown the beef on all sides for 6–7 minutes. Add the onion, thinly sliced, and cook until softened and fragrant. Make sure everything is well browned, then pour in the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate, then add just enough hot broth to barely cover the meat.
5

Add the potatoes, cut into chunks (you'll mash them later), along with the tomatoes and kale. Stir and cook for about 40 minutes, adding more hot broth as needed to keep the temperature steady.
6

After 40 minutes, add the fregola and more broth so the ingredients are just covered. After 10 minutes, add the beans. Mash the potatoes to help thicken the soup, and cook until the fregola is as tender as you like (another 5–10 minutes). Add more broth gradually to reach your preferred consistency. Turn off the heat, drizzle with raw olive oil, adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.