Easy Italian Vegetable Soup with farro, cannellini beans, zucchini, leeks and spinach. Kale, escarole and cabbage are also traditional choices, so take your pick of what’s in season in your area! Hearty, healthy, comforting, super delicious and good for you, a real immunity soup perfect for the cold winter days!
Italian Vegetable Soup
Also going by the name “ Minestrone “ or as i like to call it “ Zuppa di Farro “ this is a hearty, good for you soup made without any meat, but a real nutritious showstopper.
I really love the rustic texture of farro here, but this would also work nice with barley, brown rice or a short pasta like gnocchi, tortellini or orzo.
What is Farro?
An heirloom whole grain with rustic chewy texture and nutty flavor, a staple food in ancient Rome, also known as “ the mother of all wheat”. It is still cultivate today by Tuscan farmers in Italy.
The Beans
White Cannellini beans are an authentic choice here but pretty much any buttery type of bean will work. Borlotti beans would be an amazing Italian classic if you can get your hands on them. So work with what you got, there isn’t a set recipe for a Minestrone, get creative, it’s about making a meal of vegetables that are in season after all.
The Vegetable Broth
I used a Parmesan rind I had in the freezer to infuse the broth with classic flavor and a buttery creaminess. So really like a Tuscan ribolitta but without the bread. To make your broth vegan and healthier just use 1/4 cup of delicious nutritional yeast and forget about the parm.
I garnished everything with fresh herbs from the garden but once fall and winter rolls around I usually buzz up a parsley or basil pesto to drizzle over the top, like I do for my roasted pepper tomato soup.
Storage:
All leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in lidded glass containers for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen in freezer proof containers for up to 6 months. Remember to thaw out in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to make Italian Vegetable Farro Soup
Easy Italian Vegetable Soup with Farro
Easy Italian vegetable soup with farro, cannellini beans, zucchini, leeks and spinach. Also goes by the name Minestrone or Zupps di Farro!
Servings 6 people
Calories 248kcal
Ingredients
- 1 leek or 1 yellow onion
- 1 carrot -diced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cups farro -organic
- 1 zucchini (or any squash you like)
- 15 oz canned San Marzano Tomatoes (crushed)
- 1 cup cooked cannellini beans (Italian white beans)
- 1 cup baby spinach, kale or escarole
- 6 cups water or vegetable stock (+ more to your liking)
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 sprig sage
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dry)
- 7 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp dry oregano
- 3 inches Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast)
- 1 tsp sea salt (+ more to taste)
- 3 tbsp fresh chives (for garnish)
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme (for garnish)
Instructions
- Rinse and slice the leek in half lengthwise. Slice it across into small pieces and rinse them well in a colander. Alternatively you can add them to a bowl with cold water and all the sand and grit will fall to the bottom. Gently scoop them out and dry well on a tea towel.
- Heat up a medium soup pot on low flame. Add a lug of olive oil and the sliced leeks with a pinch of sea salt. Give it a good stir and sauté for 5 minutes until it starts to wilt.
- Stir in the carrots and cook an additional 5 minutes then add the farro. Toss to coat in the oils and toast for a few minutes.
- Add the dry oregano, bay leaf, thyme, Sage and fresh oregano sprigs.
- Pour in the water or vegetable stock, give everything a good stir and bring to a simmer. Add the Parmesan rind and cook together for 15 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot together with the zucchini. Simmer another 15 minutes or until the farro is cooked through but still a little al dente.
- Rinse the cannellini beans if using a canned variety and add them to the soup.
- Remove from heat and taste. Adjust seasonings with the sea salt then add the fresh spinach or kale. Give it a stir so the spinach will wilt from the steam. If using kale I would cook it an extra couple of minutes as it needs a little extra time to soften.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnished with the fresh chives and blossoms or whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.
Notes
- To make this soup Vegan use 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast instead of the the parmesan rind.
- Instead of farro you can use barley or any short grain pasta of your choosing.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2925IU | Vitamin C: 23.6mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 4.4mg
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