I’ve been really leaning into a Mediterranean diet when I can. It’s so incredibly flavorful and so good for you, and for me, it’s the type of food I crave. One thing I’ve been making on repeat is this healthy vegetable farro soup that’s packed with fiber, protein and so many yummy flavors. I’m one of those weird people who loves to eat soup year round, yes, even when it’s hot outside.
I love having this soup, or really any soup in the fridge during the week because I can easily heat it up and have a quick, healthy lunch without doing much. Make it once and enjoy it many times—that’s my motto for easy lunches! Especially once we’re back in school and I’m trying to squeeze in as much as I can while my kids are gone.
This soup is very reminiscent of minestrone—the flavors are almost the same, but I’ve swapped out some ingredients and left some out, simply for ease. The point is that this one can be easily tweaked to work with what you have on hand!
The Main Vegetables
- Kale: swap for spinach or green beans
- Kidney Beans: swap for garbanzo beans or cannellini beans—even pinto or black beans would work in a pinch!
- Potato: I often swap for sweet potato—it really just depends on what we have.
- Farro: Typically minestrone has pasta and if you’d prefer that or that’s all you have that works, but I love the chewiness of farro and it’s a whole grain, so it’s more nutritious.
You could also add sausage or mini meatballs to this to add more protein. My kids don’t love beans, so I’ve thought about swapping the beans for something else because they love all the other ingredients!
What to Cook it In
I cook this in my Dutch oven, seriously this has been one of the BEST kitchen purchases. We make everything from soups, stews and even bake sourdough in it.
I’m sure you could do this in the slow cooker, but it comes together so quickly, it might end up being too squishy in there. If you are wanting to make it after work and don’t have a ton of time, save yourself some prep time by chopping the night before, or make it early and just have it ready to reheat!
No matter how you decide to tweak this one, the base of the soup is delicious and flavorful, and I hope you and your family love it as much as we do!
Healthy Vegetable Farro Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 white or yellow onion chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
- pinch dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 5 small new potatoes diced
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1/2 cup farro 10-minute kind works great
- 15 oz can kidney beans strained and rinsed
- 2 boxes chicken or vegetable broth 32oz. box
- 4-5 leaves dino kale stemmed and chopped
- chopped parsley to garnish
- chopped fresh basil to garnish
- grated parmesan to garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pan or Dutch oven.
- Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and some salt and let cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender.
- Add seasoning and tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients through broth and bring to a boil then let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add kale and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper until it's perfect.
- Serve in bowls garnished with fresh parsely, basil, grated parmesan and even an extra drizzle of heart-healthy olive oil.
BTW, you’ll also want to try our perfect roast chicken and Greek quinoa salad bowls.
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