Toasted Spelt Soup with Escarole and White Beans

Ingredients

• 15 ounce cannellini beans rinsed canned
• 1  carrots coarsely chopped
• 1  celery stalks coarsely chopped
• 0.5 head endive 
• 1 small fennel bulb cored coarsely chopped
• 2  garlic clove chopped
• 8 servings pepper freshly ground
• 12 cups chicken broth low-sodium
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for serving
• 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
• 3 ounces pancetta cut into 1/4" pieces
• 8 servings parmesan shaved (for serving)
• 0.8 teaspoon pepper red crushed
• 1 cup farro 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• pot

Directions

1. Pulse onion in a food processor untilfinely chopped.
2. Transfer to a medium bowl.Repeat with fennel, carrot, and celery,placing vegetables in bowl with onion.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot.
4. Addpancetta and cook, stirring often, untilgolden brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Add speltand cook, stirring often, until grains are acouple of shades darker, about 3 minutes.
6. Add onion, fennel, carrot, celery, andgarlic to pot; season with salt and pepper.Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetablesare softened, 6–8 minutes.
7. Add tomatopaste and red pepper flakes, and cook untilpaste is slightly darkened, about 1 minute.
8. Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduceheat, and simmer, partially covered,until spelt is tender, 60–70 minutes. Stirescarole and beans into soup and cook untilescarole is wilted and beans are warmedthough, about 4 minutes.
9. Serve soup drizzled with oil and toppedwith Parmesan.
10. DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 daysahead. Cover and chill.
11. Semi-pearled farro or wheat berries