Tuscan Farro Soup

 Hey Pasta Peeps,

A few weeks ago I made this soup and felt a part of me soften. I instantly felt gentler, comforted, and soothed. Yes - a pot of soup has that power.  

    This weekend, I have been focusing on cozy things and relaxing. I accomplished some big things last week, including starting this blog and paying off a big student loan among other big personal achievements, and knew I needed a few days of R&R to recover. It is so important that we celebrate accomplishments in big ways, but also recognize the energy needs to be balanced with restoration. 
    Additionally, on Friday we had our first wave of New England winter blanket the city in a thick creamy layer of snow, no I mean a thick cold layer of snow.  We hunkered down to watch the Queens Gambit (I highly recommend this show - I've watched it twice already) and I got to work cooking this glorious soup, also for the second time. 

This soup keeps really well, I'll continue to eat it all week for lunches and simple dinners paired with fresh green salads and maybe left over chicken cutlets. 

Zuppa di Farro (Tuscan Farro Soup) 
Recipe adapted from "Biba's Italy" book

Serving Size: 6
Cooking + prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-1 small onion, finely minced 
-1 medium carrot, minced 
-1 celery stalk, minced 
-5 to 6 fresh sage leaves, shredded 
-1 (28 ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marazno with their juices
-salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
-6 cups chicken broth or low sodium
-1 pound farro (about 2 1/2 cups) *I found a quick-cook grain from WholeFoods that doesn't need to be soaked, otherwise make sure you fully wash and soak for a few hours before using

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic, onions, carrot and celery and cook until lightly golden and soft, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the sage, stir for about 1 minute then add the tomatoes.
4. Season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring from time to time, until the sauce has thickened (about 10 minutes).
5. In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the farro.
6. When the broth returns to a boil, add the sauce to broth while stirring. Reduce heat to low, uncovered, and simmer until farro is tender and soup has thickened. 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Adjust seasoning as needed.
7. Let soup sit for 15-20 minutes, serve with drizzle of olive oil and garnish with sage and crusty bread. 
*I added a little extra liquid (broth and water) at the end since the farro absorbed most of the liquid. Just make sure to reheat and stir.  

Soothing, tasty and hearty without being too heavy. Packed with fiber and veggies.  yummmmmmmm. Comment with your favorite soup recipes below. Soup season is definitely here so I'm eager to try a few more yummy soups. 

Love&Pasta,
Linda