Borlotti Bean Soup with Orecchiette — Authentic Calabrian Recipe

Borlotti bean soup is the dish that smells like home and sunshine: discover how to turn dried Borlotti Beans into a velvety soup, enriched with bronze-drawn orecchiette and a drizzle of organic extra virgin olive oil!

There's a reason dried legumes are at the heart of Calabrian cooking: sun-dried, borlotti beans keep all their flavour and, unlike fresh beans, are available all year round. The dried Borlotti Beans from Tastiness Food Shop are tasty and flavourful, ideal for protein-rich soups: a bowl that tells the story of Calabrian country tradition, with the bonus of a complete, nourishing dish.

Ingredients for 4 people

Difficulty: Medium  |  Preparation: 15 min  |  Cooking: 60 min  |  Total time: 75 min

• 250 g of dried Borlotti Beans — 500 gr., sun-dried in Calabria
• 250 g of Orecchiette 500 gr., bronze-drawn pasta
• 4 tablespoons of 100% Italian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 white onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 200 g of tomato pulp (optional)
• Whole sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Step 1 — Soaking and preparation

1. Soak 250 g of dried Borlotti Beans in cold water for at least 12 hours, changing the water halfway: a good soak shortens the cooking time and makes the beans more digestible.
2. Drain, rinse and set aside. Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery.

Step 2 — Cooking the beans

1. In a tall pot, pour 1.5 litres of cold water with the soaked beans and the bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, skimming occasionally: the beans should be soft but not falling apart.
3. Towards the end of cooking, add the salt.

Step 3 — The soffritto and the finish

1. In a wide casserole, gently sauté the onion, carrot and celery with 2 tablespoons of EVO oil and the garlic cloves in their skins, for 8-10 minutes over a gentle flame.
2. Add 2 ladles of beans with some of their cooking liquid and mash them with a spoon to create the natural cream that thickens the soup.
3. Add the remaining beans with the broth, stir in the tomato pulp (if you prefer it redder) and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the orecchiette and finish cooking in 10-12 minutes, adding hot water if needed.
5. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic, adjust salt and pepper, and finish with the chopped rosemary and a generous drizzle of raw olive oil.

💡 Tastiness Tip: the secret of a creamy, non-floury borlotti bean soup is the mantecatura: mashing part of the beans at the right moment — and adding the raw oil off the heat — gives you a soft cream that coats the orecchiette, with no need for cream or thickeners.

Pairings and Variations

The dried Borlotti Bean soup is a complete first course, also great in the vegan version. Try it with toasted ancient-grain bread, or in the "in bianco" version without tomato to bring out the flavour of the beans. For a bolder touch, finish with a sprinkle of Calabrian chilli; for a fresher dish, the same soup also works beautifully lukewarm as a summer salad.

The Story of the Dish

Borlotti beans are a pillar of Calabrian country tradition: sun-dried after the harvest, they keep all year and have fed generations of families. The orecchiette soup was born in home kitchens, where legumes meet pasta and the taste of the local olive press. The dried Borlotti Beans from Tastiness bring this story into your kitchen today, in a handy 500 gr pack ideal for soups, stews and protein-rich dishes.

Products Used

🛒 Dried Borlotti Beans — 500 gr. — Tastiness Food Shop
🛒 Pasta — Orecchiette 500 gr., bronze-drawn — Tastiness Food Shop
🛒 100% Italian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil — Tastiness Food Shop