Skip to main content

Farro and Escarole Soup

3.0

(1)

Bowl of farro soup
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova

This delicate, brothy grain soup manages to be comforting and fortifying—but without requiring a nap afterward. If you have really good homemade stock on hand, you can use it instead of the water called for here; the soup will only benefit from the addition. But even if you don’t, the flavors will get richer and more concentrated the longer it sits, which means it’s a great make-ahead recipe for a weekday lunch or dinner. This dish is part of the Bon Appétit Guide to Actually Enjoying Your Lunch at Work. Find more recipes, tips, and tricks here.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. capers
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup unhulled farro or spelt
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal
4 cups torn escarole or kale
1 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ¼ cup)
Kosher salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook garlic, capers, and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is golden, 4–6 minutes. Add onion, farro, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add 6 cups cold water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until farro is tender, 20–25 minutes. Add celery and cook, uncovered, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir escarole and Parmesan into soup and continue to cook until escarole is wilted, another 4 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt.

    Step 3

    Do Ahead: Soup can be made 4 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

Read More
This riff on the Italian classic comfort food gets its verdant color from kale two ways: blended into the base, and wilted among the pasts and white beans.
Bathe greens and chickpeas in a garlicky, tomato-enhanced broth. Stretch a block of Halloumi by grating and toasting it into a topping for the soup.
With a gingery egg drop, lots of kale, and toast on the side.
Cooking down radicchio with vinegar and sugar until jammy is an eye-opening approach that reveals a world of options beyond salad.
Canned butternut squash purée (find it by the canned pumpkin!) makes this cozy, cold-weather recipe come together in a snap.
In this mushroom bourguignon, a vegetarian take on a French classic, earthy fungi braise in a wine-rich umami broth with pearl onions and tender carrots.
The golden, crunchy corners are worth fighting over.
A take on Utica greens, a classic Italian American dish from central New York, made with bunches of broccoli rabe, Pecorino, and pickled chiles.