Christina Pirello's Farinata Soup
Recipe Serves 3-4
This week's Sunday Supper recipe for Farinata Soup comes from our good friend Christina Pirello, host of the Emmy Award-winning American Public Television series Christina Cooks: Back to the Cutting Board.
If you are not familiar with farinata, it is a beloved Italian dish known for its earthy flavor and subtle richness. Made from chickpea flour, water, salt, and olive oil, farinata is enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean, with regional variations found across several countries.
The chickpea flour adds natural creaminess and plant-based protein, making this classic cucina povera soup both simple and satisfying. It is a dish you will return to again and again. It also happens to be an ideal way to kick off Veganuary, the January tradition that encourages plant-based eating. Happy 2026!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, whole in peels
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- Sea salt to taste (Ground in a FinaMill Everyday Pod)
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 cup cooked or canned cannellini beans
- 5 cups spring or filtered water
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 3-4 leaves lacinato kale, stems removed and diced, leaves chopped in bite size pieces
- Cracked black pepper to taste (Ground in a FinaMill Pepper Pod)
Directions:
- Heat a small amount of oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions.
- When the onions begin to sizzle, remove the garlic cloves. With the FinaMill, add a 1 second grind of salt and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the carrot and celery with another 1 second grind of salt using the FinaMill. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the beans and water.
- Slowly sprinkle in the chickpea flour, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the kale and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt to taste and finish with freshly cracked black pepper.
About Christina Pirello
Christina Pirello is the Emmy Award-winning host of the American Public Television series, Christina Cooks: Back to the Cutting Board. Christina is a best-selling author of thirteen cookbooks and an eminent authority on the impact food choices have on our personal wellness and the health of the planet.
With more than 300 episodes of Christina Cooks produced since 1997, Christina's message is clear: what we choose to eat has a big impact on how we look, feel, age, and move through this challenging world. Check your local public TV station for her program and follow her @christinacooks on Instagram and Christina Cooks Official on Facebook.
