Mesciua - Soup
Preparation Type:
Soup
Effort:
Medium
Preparation Time:
Medium
Description:
Mesciua is a typical soup for La Spezia – a soup of chickpea, white beans and grains. The
name is derived from “mescolata”, meaning “mixed”.
Main ingredients:
Ingredients for 6 people:
300g chickpeas
300g white beans
100g spelt or wheat
olive oil
salt, pepper
some baking powder
Preparation:
Place the beans and a pinch of baking powder into a bowl of warm water.
Also place the chickpeas and spelt into a bowl of warm water, add a pinch of baking powder.
Allow both to soak for at least 12 hours.
Drain the chickpea and spelt and cook in slightly salted water for 2 hours. Drain the beans
as well and cook separately for 1.5 hours. The ingredients are cooked separately due to the
difference in cooking time and to preserve the flavours.
Then add the beans and some the water they were boiled in to the chickpeas and spelt. Now
there should be a total of 1.5 litres of fluid in the pot. Boil for another 15 minutes. Add salt to
taste. “Mesciua” is served with olive oil and fresh pepper.
