Minestrone with Farro and a Calabrian Kick
Healthy minestrone recipe with winter vegetables, farro, and Calabrian chilies.
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
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp of broth to the bottom of stockpot. Cook carrots, celery, onion, rutabaga, butternut squash, and garlic for 8-10 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add greens at the very end and heat gently until wilted.
Serving Suggestions
- 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.