Swiss Chard, Cannellini Bean, and Barley Soup

If you are in Italy and see a soup with orzo on the menu, then you are likely to have come to one of the two northeast regions, Trentino or Friuli, where barley, orzo in Italian, is a popular soup ingredient. Don’t mistake it for the pasta shape by the same name, which is more common in Middle Eastern than in Italian cooking.

I have based this chard and barley soup on various models, all from Friuli. Some may have had spinach instead of chard or cranberry beans instead