Quick Tuscan Farro Soup with Beans and Kale
This article may contain affiliate links, please read our disclosure policy.
This Tuscan farro soup is hearty, healthy, and the perfect cozy and comforting soup to warm you up this winter. Farro, cannellini beans, and kale pack in the protein, making it a satisfying plant-based meal perfect for cold days!
Love this? Try this Tuscan White Bean Soup or this Classic Italian Minestrone Soup!
Table of contents
When it starts to chill outside, this Tuscan farro soup is one of my favorite meals to throw together in under 30 minutes. It’s inspired by classic Italian soups and has protein and fiber-packed farro, cannellini beans, and kale, along with a blend of vegetables.
If this is your first time making farro, this vegetable farro soup is a great recipe to try – but before we jump into the rest of the ingredients, let’s discuss what’s so special about farro.
What is Farro?
Farro refers to any of the three nutrient-dense whole grains, including einkorn, emmer, and spelt. This ancient grain has a nutty taste and chewy texture similar to brown rice and bulgar and is a much healthier alternative to refined grains.
Pearled farro is the most common type as the husk and bran are removed, so it has fewer nutrients, but it’s more convenient as it takes around 15 to 20 minutes to cook.
I use this 10-minute Farro from Trader Joe’s to make this recipe super quick. It’s pre-cooked and then dried, so it takes no time to cook. So good, and it cuts cooking time to under 30 minutes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is my go-to healthy cooking oil for sauteing vegetables.
- Onion & garlic cloves
- Carrots & celery: To build the perfect base for this soup.
- Potatoes: Use waxy, boiling potatoes like red or white as they hold up well in hearty soups.
- Cannellini beans: Aka, white kidney beans are a great way to boost fiber and protein in soups. If you can’t find cannellini beans, great Northern beans are very similar.
- Farro: I used quick cook farro (aka quick cook spelt) to cook the soup in around 20 minutes. You can also use traditional farro, but it’ll take around 1 hour to cook.
- Tomato sauce
- Vegetable broth
- Cavalo Nero: Tuscan black kale (or black cabbage) has thick, very dark green leaves that will hold up in the hot soup. If you can’t find black kale, curly kale, or any other greens will be just as delicious.
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
How To Make
- Saute the aromatics: Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a deep saucepan or large dutch oven over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until soft and translucent (3-5 minutes). Then, add the garlic and sauté for one more minute.
- Cook the veggies and farro in the broth: Add the carrot, celery, potatoes,
- Next add the tomato sauce, farro, and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes and farro start to soften.
- Add the beans and kale: Add the cavolo nero and cannellini beans to the pot. Give everything a good stir, and cook over low heat until the greens are cooked and tender (5-8 minutes).
- Adjust consistency & season: If your soup is thicker than you like, add 1/4 cup of broth or water until it’s thinned out to your liking – season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the fresh herbs and serve: Remove the pot of soup from the eat, throw in a small handful of fresh parsley, and stir. Serve hot with crusty bread, and enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
This is a great soup to make once and enjoy throughout the week. Unlike most whole grains, farro will hold up for a few days without turning mushy, and the flavors only get better once it is reheated.
Refrigerator storage: Let cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer storage: Transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container or well-sealed freezer-safe bag, leaving room at the top to accommodate expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: If frozen, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in the microwave or stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water or broth if it’s too thick.
Quick Tips
- Tip 1: If you’d like to add more vegetables, cremini mushrooms, parsnips, red bell pepper, zucchini, and summer squash are great options rooted in Tuscan-style cooking.
- Tip 2: Individual bowls of Tuscan farro soup are delicious when topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, your favorite dairy-free parmesan-style cheese alternative, or a dash of nutritional yeast.
- Tip 3: A bowl of this lovely soup is even better with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
F.A.Q.
You can add any leafy greens to farro soup, but some may not need to simmer as long as kale, so adjust the timing accordingly. Try with chard, spinach, mustard greens, or collard greens.
If you’re short on time, you can make this soup with quick cook farro or pearled farro in less than 30 minutes, but I find the flavors blend even better when cooked for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Yes, and it’s a great source of plant-based protein courtesy of the farro, legumes, and kale.
To make this a gluten-free Tuscan vegetable soup, swap the farro for sorghum, brown rice, or quinoa. But keep in mind that the cooking times will vary.
Why I Love This Recipe
- This healthy soup is a filling and satisfying meal to enjoy by itself.
- It comes together in one pot with a short list of fresh and pantry ingredients.
- The ingredients are flexible, and you can use what you already have.
- It’s an easy recipe I can have on the table in under 30 minutes.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Pumpkin Soup With Mushrooms
- Fresh Pea Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Red Lentil Soup with Spinach & Carrots
- Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
- Turkish Red Lentil Soup
If you try this Tuscan farro soup recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
Quick Tuscan Farro Soup With Beans And Kale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion - chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic - minced
- 2 carrots - diced
- 1 celery stalk - diced
- 2 medium potatoes - chopped
- 1 can cannellini beans - 15oz, rinsed
- 1 cup quick cook farro - (see note 1)
- 1 can tomato sauce - 15oz
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups cavolo nero or kale - chopped thick stalks removed
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Add the chopped carrot, celery, potatoes, tomato sauce, farro, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cavolo nero and cannellini beans and cook on low heat for another 5-8 minutes, until the greens are tender (see note 2).
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more broth or a bit of water to thin it down. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from the heat, add the chopped parsley, mix well and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Tag @gatheringdreams on Instagram. I want to see it!
The soup Is delicious !
It does taste better the longer you let it cook!!
Agree! If you have time, and extra 10-20 minutes do make it better 🙂
Thanks J R!
This looks delicious – love the higher protein content without a meat protein involved. Looking forward to making this for company with some homemade bread.
Thanks so much, Jessica!