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Sardinian soup of longevity, the recipe for living 100 years

The health minestrone comes from Perdasdefogu, in Ogliastra, one of the five areas on the planet to boast the highest percentage of long-lived inhabitants (the other “blue zone” are the island of Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, the island of Icaria in Greece and the locality of Loma Linda in California). But it is precisely the Sardinian village that concentrates the largest presence of centenarians in the world8 out of 1740 residents, enough to draw the attention of Dr Robert Piliresponsible for the community for the study of longevity, which has just launched a specific study of two-year duration.

On the secrets of Perdasdefogu a team of American researchers led by the American journalist Dan Buettner (author of the book: “The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People“, and. National Geographic Society): after consulting the Melis family, the longest in the worldhe had collected and also published minestrone recipe. An explosion of health thanks to the perfect mix of legumes, cereals (a few) and seasonal vegetables from the garden, with the addition of water from the Maria Raspa spring, which has a correct dosage of salts (but according to the latest studies, in In Italy tap water is however, almost everywhere, of excellent quality). So here is the recipe:

Longevity Sardinian minestrone: the Melis family recipe

Ingredients for 4 people: 1/2 cup dried broad beans, 1/2 cup dried beans, 1/3 cup dried chickpeas, 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 medium yellow or white onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 zucchini, 2 stalks of celery, 2 teaspoons of garlic, 1 cup of tomato puree, 3 medium yellow potatoes, 1½ cup of fennel, 1 bunch of fresh chopped parsley, fresh basil leaves to taste, 2/3 cup of Sardinian fregula, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

Method: Soak the dried legumes overnight, then drain and rinse them well to remove any impurities. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mix, add the tomatoes, diced potatoes and fennel, parsley, basil, beans, broad beans and chickpeas. Add the water to cover everything, bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Leave to boil slowly without covering until the legumes are soft but not mushy, adding water if necessary. It will take about an hour, an hour and a half. Add the fregola and cook, adding more water if the minestrone is too dry. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.

More stories from Vanity Fair that might interest you:

Hot soup: 10 recipes to face the winter

The minestrone diet: the pros, cons and the ideal menu

Why try Trieste’s Jota and how to prepare it

The «minestra coi sassi», as it is the poorest dish in the world

Source: Vanity Fair

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