Minestra di Fave Bianche

Purity of ingredients and utter simplicity sum up this nourishing winter recipe. In Puglia, where it originated, cooked rice or pastina (tiny pasta for soups) is often added to a finished soup to make it more sustaining. This dish is similar to the highly traditional, thick bean purée maccu di fave, the recipe for which is given. This soup, however, is topped with olive oil and a delicate sprinkling of freshly chopped chives.