Spring Herb Soup: Cooking for Wellness at NYU Langone

This quick, nutritious one-pot recipe is perfect for spring and summer meals with friends and family. Nurse AnnMarie Dindial of NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn cooks with chef Jeffrey Held in this episode of Cooking for Wellness at NYU Langone.
Spring Herb Soup with Fregola and Pancetta
Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1 bunch spring onions, sliced; white and green parts separated
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¾ cup dry white wine
1 ¼ cups fregola sarda, orzo, or Israeli couscous
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons parsley stems, sliced
½ cup spring peas
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup parsley leaves, sliced
¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves, sliced
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Parmesan Reggiano, for garnish
lemon wedges, for garnish
Instructions:
In a sturdy pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over low to medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly over low to medium heat until all fat is liquified (rendered) and the pancetta begins to lightly crisp. Drain off all of the fat.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the spring onions to the pot and sweat until soft. Turn the heat down a little and add the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Deglaze the pot with the wine and reduce until almost dry.
Add the fregola and toast for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the cook until the fregola is “al dente.” Add the parsley stems, the peas, and the beans, and bring to a boil again. Add the spinach, the parsley and tarragon leaves, and the pepper and salt.
Divide soup among four bowls and garnish with the green parts of the spring onions, Parmesan, and fresh-squeezed lemon.