Mark Bittman's Farro Soup

This soup is a prime contender for the economical, healthy, vegetable rich requirements I have applied to my menus. The recipe is Mark Bittman's and can be found here on The New York Times' web site.

I used farro, although you can also use barley. The only notes I made on this recipe:

• I added a Parmesan rind to the pot while everything was simmering (Parmesan rind is a magic ingredient - fish it out before serving).
• I used flageolet beans that had soaked for 2 hours before I started the soup.
• The farro took much longer than I expected to cook. The soup didn't suffer for it: the beans broke down a lot more, but they just made the soup creamier.
• I didn't use any basil: I didn't have any on hand, and besides, to me fresh basil in January just seems wrong.
• I served it drizzled with some fruity olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly-grated Parmesan.

I was sure this soup would freeze well (most bean and grain soups do), so I made a double batch and put half away for a chilly day.