Friuli lowlands — the combination of Slavic, German-Austrian, and Italian influences in this borderland produces a soup that is specifically Friulian and not replicable in any other region. The bean-and-sauerkraut combination reflects the centuries of Hapsburg administration.
Friuli's winter bean soup is a variant of the pan-Italian bean-and-pork tradition, distinguished by the addition of sauerkraut (crauti) or brovada alongside the beans and pork rinds, and by the use of smoked pork products (speck or smoked pancetta) rather than the fresh pork of southern versions. The combination of smoked meat, fermented vegetables, and beans is the signature of the Central European influence on Friulian cooking — a flavour profile simultaneously Italian and Austrian, reflecting the region's unique position at the intersection of three food cultures (Italian, Slavic, and German-Austrian).
The Friulian bean soup with fermented vegetables and smoked pork is complex and warming — the smoke from the speck, the sourness from the sauerkraut or brovada, and the earthiness of the beans create a flavour that is simultaneously Italian and Central European. It is the flavour of the borderland.
Build the base: render smoked pancetta or diced speck until golden. Add soffritto. Add pre-soaked borlotti or lamon beans, pork rinds (blanched), and enough water to cover generously. Simmer 1.5 hours. In the last 30 minutes, add sauerkraut (or brovada, if available) — the acidity of the fermented vegetable cuts the fat of the pork rinds and the starchiness of the beans. Optionally add a short pasta (maltagliati or broken pasta) in the last 10 minutes. Season aggressively with salt and black pepper. Finish with a generous thread of extra-virgin olive oil and fresh parsley.
The combination of smoke (from the speck) and fermentation (from the sauerkraut or brovada) is specifically Friulian — it's the flavour combination that exists nowhere else in Italian cooking. If brovada is available, use it instead of sauerkraut — the grape-pomace fermented turnip has a more complex acid profile than plain sauerkraut. The soup is always better the next day.
Adding sauerkraut at the beginning — the acidity inhibits the beans from becoming tender (acid toughens bean skins). Adding too much sauerkraut — it should accent the soup, not dominate; the ratio is roughly 1 cup sauerkraut to 3 cups cooked beans. Not washing the pork rinds after blanching — they carry excess grease that will make the soup heavy.
Slow Food Editore, Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Cucina; Elizabeth David, Italian Food