Basic Jota Recipe - Jota di Base - Bean and Sauerkraut Soup Recipe

Basic Jota, or Jota di Base: Though one might not associate sauerkraut with Italy, it's common in Friuli, and is central to Jota (pronounced Yota), a simple, hearty bean and sauerkraut soup from Trieste.

Prep Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• A heaping cup of beans soaked in cold water for at least 6 hours
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced onion (optional)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 cups sauerkraut

Preparation:

Boil the beans in water with the garlic, salting them only after an hour. When they have become soft, sauté the flour until golden in the oil with the onion if you want it, and stir it into the beans. Remove and discard the garlic, stir in the sauerkraut, mix, simmer for 10 more minutes, and check seasoning.

That's it -- simple peasant food.

A wine? Ribolla Gialla, a Friulian white, goes quite well.

Yield: 4-6 servings of Jota.

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