Simple Comfort Soup {Vegetable Farro}
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A warming soulful bowl of vegetable farro soup that is delicately spiced and brimming with good for you ingredients.
Author:
Serves: Serves 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow onion, small dice
  • 4 garlic cloves (or to taste), minced or smashed & finely chopped
  • 227 g (1 cup) container of sliced mushrooms, washed and broken into smaller pieces (I just break with my fingers while rinsing the mushrooms).
  • 2 leek stalks, chopped (remove dark tough tops, cut the remaining white-green part of leek in half lengthwise before chopping - if leek is especially large, cut halves into quarters).
  • 450 g (about 4 large) carrots, peeled & chopped
  • 110 g (3/4 cup) pearled farro*
  • 2 L (48 oz) vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • ½ tsp dried Herbes de Provence
  • salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. NB: I salt a little throughout and then adjust as needed at the end. There is no specific quantity, this will depend on personal preference (dietary requirements) and also how much sodium is in the stock you're using.
  2. In a roomy pot or skillet of choice, sauté onion and garlic over low-medium heat with some olive oil for about 5-7 minutes adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper until onion is translucent. Reserve onion/garlic for later (I use a 'holding' bowl beside stove).
  3. Add mushrooms to the same skillet (adding touch more olive oil as needed) and sauté over medium-high temp until nicely seared, adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Reserve to same holding bowl with onion/garlic.
  4. Add leek and carrots to the same skillet over medium heat allowing them to sauté for a couple minutes until their colors begin to brighten and glisten. Sprinkle with herbs: oregano, parsley and Herbes de Provence*
  5. Return onion/garlic/shrooms to skillet with carrot and leek, adding a sprinkle of salt & pepp and stirring.
  6. Add pearled farro (or precooked farro of choice) and 1.5 Liters of vegetable stock to start.
  7. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about 10-15 minutes just until the farro is slightly soft and chewy (al dente).
  8. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
  9. As the soup 'sits' or rests in fridge, the farro will continue to absorb water, so when you reheat, simply add more stock as required to achieve desired consistency. You may also add water if preferred.
Notes
Pearled Farro -- I'm using a pearled farro from Trader Joe's (10 Minute Farro). If you are using semi-pearled or whole farro, my suggestion would be to precook before adding to this soup recipe -- you don't have to fully cook but get it underway so that it finishes in the soup -- see cooking times for different farros in post for guidance.
Herbes de Provences -- if you don't have Herbes de Provence, you can use some thyme, basil, rosemary and/or tarragon (any combination of whatever you have on hand for that ½ tsp quantity).
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2020/12/simple-comfort-soup-vegetable-farro.html