Farro Soup with Hearty Vegetables

4.83 from 46 votes
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This hearty garden vegetable soup is an easy, healthy recipe for you to make any time. High in fiber farro, beans, and a vegetable medley is a satisfying meal!

Farro Soup with Hearty Vegetables

I’ve been desperately craving a healthy meal lately. The Gavin House has been indulging these past few weeks, enjoying every last slice of pie and bites of turkey as we wrap up some holiday celebrations. Have you been feeling that post-turkey day slump too?

With the chilly weather finally settling in California, I wanted to make a big pot of hot and healthy soup that you can whip up whenever the moment calls. Let’s fire up the stove! We can enjoy a comforting bowl of hearty garden vegetable farro soup to soothe and reset our bodies.

Chopped vegetables cooking in a large pot

I like to start off any soup with a classic mirepoix; onions, carrots, and celery. This adds an excellent base of earthy flavors to the soup while it infuses into the broth. This soup is meant to have chunkier pieces of vegetables, simmered with hearty, healthy white beans, and cooked farro.

Farro in a jar

How to Cook Farro

I’ve been looking for an easy, healthy grain to add to my dishes and pearled farro was my answer!

  • Farro is an Italian emmer wheat, an ancient strain of hard wheat from the Fertile Crescent in western Asia. It is high in fiber and a good source of iron and protein, cha-ching! It’s also very easy to digest, so your body can absorb all of those great nutrients.
  • It is cooked directly in the simmering soup liquid until tender. If you are making it for a different dish, you can simmer it in a large pot of water for about 25 minutes, until the grains are tender but slightly chewy. You just drain and add it to your dish. It helps make this soup more filling, and it’s similar to rice with a little bit more of a chewy texture.

two bowls of soup

This soup is like your garden just jumped into the bowl, ha! Carrots, peas, ripe grape tomatoes, onions, fennel, celery and fresh basil, all are ready to party.

Since Farro is an ancient grain, I thought it was only right to add a little bit of grated Parmesan cheese on top. It adds a salty and savory flavor, marrying all those tender ingredients together.

Top down showing farro soup loaded with vegetables and beans

Do you love crusty bread as much as our family does? If I can find a whole wheat artisan loaf at the market, I snatch it up and warm it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp the outside right before I serve this soup.

A few dunks of bread to soak up all of the savory flavors is wonderful. Our spunky toddler James enjoyed the soft vegetables in the soup. It’s nice being able to share our meals with him now. Enjoy friends!

What is the proper way to cook Farro?

Select pearled farro, as it will cook more quickly than whole or semi-pearled. Farro is not like rice where it swells and absorbs all of the water. You want about a 1 part grain to 2.5 parts water, for example, 1 cup farro to 2.5 cups water. Farro is cooked on the stove top, with the water brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer until the grain is tender but not mushy, about 25 minutes or what the manufacturer suggests. It can be cooked directly in the soup or drained and cooled if added to a salad. It’s so versatile plus all of the farro’s health benefits!

Farro Soup with Hearty Vegetables

This hearty garden vegetable soup is an easy, healthy recipe for you to make anytime. High in fiber farro, beans, and a vegetable medley is a satisfying meal!
4.83 from 46 votes
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients  

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¾ cup celery, ⅛-inch slices
  • ½ cup yellow onion, ¼-inch dice
  • 1 cup fennel, ¼-inch dice
  • 1 cup carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4 cups vegetable stock, unsalted reccomended, 32 ounces
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup pearled farro, rinsed
  • 15 ounces cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup peas, frozen, fresh or canned
  • 2 tablespoons basil, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped fine
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Instructions 

  • In a large pot heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the celery, onion, fennel, carrots, garlic, thyme and salt. Cook, stirring a few times until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add tomato paste and stir to combine with the vegetables.
  • Add the sliced baby tomatoes, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Once boiling add the farro and beans, reduce liquid to a simmer over medium-low heat and cover soup. Cook for 25 minutes, or until farro grains are tender.
  • Add the peas, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly among bowls and top with the basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • Vegetable broth can be substituted but use 8 cups of broth and omit the water.
  • Chicken stock can be a substitute for vegetable stock. I like to use unsalted if you can find it so you can control how much you add to the soup.

Nutrition Facts

Serves: 8 servings
Calories 190kcal (10%)Carbohydrates 33g (11%)Protein 7g (14%)Fat 4g (6%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 1mgSodium 283mg (12%)Potassium 392mg (11%)Fiber 7g (28%)Sugar 6g (7%)Vitamin A 3550IU (71%)Vitamin C 19.8mg (24%)Calcium 70mg (7%)Iron 2.5mg (14%)

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.

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Jessica Gavin

I'm a culinary school graduate, cookbook author, and a mom who loves croissants! My passion is creating recipes and sharing the science behind cooking to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.

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18 Comments Leave a comment or review

  1. Jenny Bee says

    I’m going to try this recipe tonight with the ingredients I have on hand. I plan to use the instant pot. I will sauté then, dump the rest of ingredients, than high pressure maybe 12-20 mins? Or just press the soup button. Thanks for the idea. This will be my first time cooking with fennel.

  2. Brenna says

    This is fantastic! I add some small pieces of sweet potato and shredded chicken, plus some spinach at the end. Thanks for the great recipe!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      You could cook the 1 cup of farro with 3 cups of water and high pressure for 12 minutes, quick release then add it to the soup later. Of use the saute function the entire time. I worry that it might be too much liquid for pressure cooking. How big is your instant pot?

  3. Eileen cooper says

    I love making farro dishes. I just purchased an Instant Pot, How would I adjust this recipe to make itin my new “kitchen toy”?

  4. hi says

    hi I’m wondering how long this takes to make because i will be getting assessed by my food tech teacher and frankly I’m conscious of time.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Susan- Yes, I think if you portion the soup out into smaller freezer bags and then defrost when ready to eat it will still taste yummy!

  5. Lori says

    Looks delicious. I am wondering if you would recommend making this in a slow cooker, and if so how long would you cook?

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Lori! I think you can definitely cook this soup in the slow cooker. I would add the olive oil, celery, carrots, onions, fennel, garlic, salt, thyme and tomato paste in a large microwave safe bowl, and stir to combine. Then microwave for about 6 minutes, in 2 minute increments stirring in between each cooking period. This will help build some flavor and add tenderness to the vegetables before cooking. I would then add that cooked mixture and the rest of the ingredients except for the peas into the slow cooker. Add the peas in at the last 15 minutes of cooking to warm (may need longer if frozen). Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 hours on high (or until farro is tender), or low heat for 6 to 7 hours. Let me know if you try it and tell me how it goes!