Tuscan Farro Soup
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I cannot get enough of this soup. It's filling, nutritious, and reheats beautifully for leftovers. The first time I made it, I froze half to save for later and immediately regretted it because I wanted to make it again! I've made it three times this winter, which means I have had about 14 servings of it and I still love it!
This recipe has a few fun ingredients and is the reason I learned how to make my own vegetable broth. It had honestly never even occurred to me before and when I realized how easy it is, I knew I had to try. I normally compost all my vegetable scraps, but I'd much rather turn them into delicious food first. The recipe above is easy to adapt and I throw in whatever scraps I've been saving. This soup calls for farro, which is similar to barley and quinoa. It's high in iron and fiber and absolutely delicious in this soup. It can be found in most grocery stores and although its a bit pricey, a little bit goes a long way. As always, better ingredients mean better flavor, so buy fresh and high quality whenever you can. What takes this soup to the next level is the grated parmesan before serving. You can make this a vegan recipe by using vegan parmesan (or omitting it entirely).
I think the best part about this soup is that it's great to make in advance. It freezes well and lasts in the fridge for almost a week. The farro soaks up a lot of broth, so I usually add more when I'm reheating it. It tastes just as good as leftovers and makes for a great workday lunch.
I tagged it as intermediate because although it's mostly just chopping and adding things to a pot, it takes a bit of practice and skill to get the flavoring just right. I typically have to add more vegetable broth than the recipe calls for. Don't get scared off though. This seriously is my very favorite soup.
Tuscan Farro Soup
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Serves: 6 sevings
Adapted from: New York Times Cooking
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup farro
1 can white beans, slightly drained (or 1 cup dried beans, soaked several hours to overnight)
1 can chopped tomatoes (don't drain)
6-7 cups vegetable stock, more as needed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Freshly grate Parmesan
Directions:
1. Prep and chop all vegetables and open cans.
2. Pour oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat; add onion, celery, carrots, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are glossy and onion is softened, 5-10 minutes.
3. Add garlic and stir; When fragrant, add farro, beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and stir.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat until soup simmers steadily. Cook until farro and beans are tender, at least an hour, adding stock or water as necessary if mixture becomes too thick.
5. Stir in basil and parsely, then cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve with lots of Parmesan.
