Le virtù

This is an abridged version of the famous—and very complex—soup known as le virtù, a signature dish of the town of Teramo in the Abruzzo. The classic version combines seven beans, seven vegetables, and seven cuts of meat, mostly from the pig, plus farro or dried small pasta. One story says that the soup symbolizes the virtue of kitchen thriftiness for which Abruzzese women are known. Another tale contends that the soup is the result of a contest to see which virtuous woman wou