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Minestrone with Farro and a Calabrian Kick

Healthy minestrone recipe with winter vegetables, farro, and Calabrian chilies.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups carrots diced
  • 2 cups celery diced
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 1 cup rutabaga cubed
  • 2 cups butternut squash cubed
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz. canned baby roma tomatoes
  • 7 cups vegetable stock*
  • 1 cup cannellini beans (pre-cooked or canned)
  • 1/2 cup dried farro
  • 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme or 2 fresh sprigs
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 1/4-2 tsp crushed Calabrian chilies*
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or 1 parmesan rind
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 cups kale or spinach
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Add 1 tbsp of broth to the bottom of stockpot. Cook carrots, celery, onion, rutabaga, butternut squash, and garlic for 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes, remaining broth, beans, farro, thyme, bay leaves, parmesan rind and a pinch of salt. I like to smash the beans with the back of a spoon before adding to the pot.
  3. Start by adding only 1/4 tsp of Calabrian chilis and increase according to taste. (Unless you like it hot, I ended up using two heaping teaspoons!) Bring to a low boil and then simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
  4. Discard bay leaves and stir in wine, lemon juice, and any additional chilis. You may need a bit more broth if soup is too thick. If you are serving multiple people with different levels of spice tolerance, top individual bowls with additional Calabrian chiles.
  5. Add greens at the very end and heat gently until wilted.
Serving Suggestions
  1. Serve with toasted baguette or crackers. The soup reheats well and tastes even better the next day.

Notes

*Homemade vegetable broth really makes this dish shine. See post for the Broth of Everything.
*Calabrian chilies are very spicy. Start with a small amount and add more as needed. I typically use 2-3 heaping teaspoons because we like it hot! If you are serving multiple people with different spice tolerances; top individual bowls with additional chilies.