Soups are to my winter diet what hearty salads are to my summer diet: they are weather-appropriate, they keep well in the fridge over multiple days, I can fare la scarpetta with some crusty baguette, and, most importantly, they’re healthyish enough to leave room for dessert.

This recipe has earned a spot in my winter soup rotation. After messing around with a number of different—and significantly fussier—veg-grain-green soup recipes, I keep returning to this one. It is quicker than all the others I tried, the ingredients are easy to come by (if you’re an avid cook, many of them are probably hanging out in your cabinet already), it is filling, and it is damn comforting, with the chewy grains, soft beans, bittersweet kale, and smoky bacon.

Pour a glass or two of Chianti or Super Tuscan, slice a good, crusty baguette, and voilà! Dinner is served.

---

Previously:
One year ago: Kale Salad with Farro, Parmesean, Pine Nuts, and Dried Fruit (Tbh, kinda the salad version of this soup–and just as much of a staple!)
Two years ago: Coconut Black Rice Breakfast Porridge

And for my Australians:
Six months ago: Ratatouille
A year and a half ago: Green Papaya Salad (Spicy and fresh and sour and sweet, so you can put down that takeout menu)

---

Tuscan Kale, Farro, and White Bean Soup

Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 8 (see notes below recipe for how to store leftovers)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces (81g) bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cups (200g) farro (see notes below recipe)
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped (quarter vertically, then slice thinly horizontally)
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
scant 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 cups (96oz/2.83L) vegetable or chicken stock
5.25 ounces (about 150g, or 7 cups loosely packed) kale, ribs removed and chopped into bite-sized-ish pieces
1 15-ounce (425g) can cannellini beans, rinsed
Shaved Parmesan, to serve

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add farro and cook, stirring often, until grains are a couple of shades darker, about 3 minutes.

Add onion, fennel, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6–8 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook until paste is slightly darkened, about 1 minute.

Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until farro is tender, 10-30 minutes (see note, below, on cooking time). Stir kale and beans into soup and cook until kale is wilted and beans are warmed though, about 4 minutes.

Ladle into bowls, top with shaved Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread and red wine.

Notes

On storage: This soup will keep in the fridge for about 4 days. It also freezes extraordinarily well! I freeze my soups in wide-mouth mason jars, so I can just remove the lid and pop the soup in the microwave when I need a quick meal. (I also like wide-mouth mason jars for bringing soup to work for lunch—they never spill!)

On farro and cooking time: I get the quick-cooking farro from Trader Joe’s, which takes about 10-12 minutes to cook; therefore, the soup only needed to simmer for 10 minutes before adding the kale and beans. Regular farro takes about 30 minutes to cook, so you’ll have to let the soup simmer for longer before adding the kale and beans.