Hearty & Healthy Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup: Your Ultimate Vegetarian Fall Meal
As the days grow shorter and the air takes on a crisp, cool edge, there’s nothing quite as comforting and satisfying as a warm bowl of soup. This Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup is a vegetarian masterpiece, perfectly crafted for the beautiful autumn season. It’s packed with an abundance of wholesome ingredients: nutrient-dense kale, protein-rich chickpeas, hearty farro, and a medley of fresh vegetables, all brought together with the irresistible depth of smoked paprika. This soup isn’t just a meal; it’s a hug in a bowl, promising warmth, flavor, and a powerful nutritional boost.
Why This Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup Will Become Your Go-To Recipe
Welcome back to another edition of Superfood Saturday! This week, we’re putting the spotlight on a truly spectacular dish: our Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup. If you’re a fan of soups that are both satisfying and incredibly good for you, you’ve come to the right place. This recipe builds upon our love for versatile greens, following our previous exploration in 21 Ways to Use Kale, where we showcased innovative ways to incorporate kale into your diet, including a hearty Garden Vegetable Breakfast Bowl, a flavorful Sweet Italian Sausage Soup with Kale and Cheesy Parmesan Croutons, and a delicious Pesto Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale.
Beyond salads, adding kale to soups is hands down my favorite way to enjoy this nutritional powerhouse. I’ve found that when kale is simmered in a savory broth, it becomes wonderfully tender, seamlessly blending with the other ingredients. This transformation makes it much more palatable, even for those who might be hesitant about eating greens. While I might playfully call it “hiding” a super veggie, the truth is that cooking kale this way unlocks its flavors and textures in a way that truly enhances the entire dish. And let’s be honest, whatever it takes to get these essential nutrients into our families’ meals is a win!
The Symphony of Flavors: Kale, Chickpeas, Farro & Smoked Paprika
This Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup is more than just a vegetarian soup; it’s a testament to how simple, wholesome ingredients can come together to create something truly extraordinary. It’s robust, deeply flavorful, and incredibly comforting, making it an ideal meal for any day, especially when you’re craving a hearty, plant-based dinner. The base of rich vegetable broth is infused with the sweetness of fresh vegetables like onion, carrots, and celery, providing a foundational layer of flavor.
The star ingredients—kale, farro, and chickpeas—each bring their unique characteristics to the bowl. Kale offers a slightly earthy, robust green note, while farro contributes a delightful chewy texture and nutty undertone. Chickpeas add a creamy, satisfying bite, making the soup incredibly filling and providing a significant protein boost. But it’s the smoked paprika that truly elevates this soup, imparting a warm, lingering smokiness that is both intriguing and incredibly delicious. This spice transforms the entire profile, adding a depth that you won’t find in ordinary vegetable soups.
My love for soups knows no seasonal bounds, but there’s a special magic about enjoying them during the fall and winter months. They are remarkably easy to prepare, often yield generous leftovers perfect for meal prepping, and offer an effortless way to pack a concentrated dose of nutritious ingredients into a single bowl. This particular soup exemplifies this perfectly. Not only does it feature the celebrated superfood kale, but it also provides abundant protein from the chickpeas and a fantastic combination of fiber, whole grains, and sustained energy from the farro. Each spoonful is a journey of texture and taste, guaranteed to nourish your body and soul.
Unlocking the Nutritional Powerhouse of This Soup
Let’s delve deeper into why this Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup is a nutritional champion. As we’ve highlighted before, just one cup of kale is an incredible source of essential vitamins, providing well over 100 percent of your daily recommended intake for Vitamins A and C. These vitamins are crucial for immune function, skin health, and vision. But the goodness doesn’t stop there; kale is also an excellent source of Vitamin K, vital for blood clotting and bone health.
Remarkably, these impressive vitamin benefits come with a very low-calorie count per serving, and kale is naturally fat-free. It’s a true guilt-free addition to any meal. Beyond its vitamin profile, kale contributes a significant amount of fiber, which aids digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness, and plant-based protein, making it an ideal component for a balanced vegetarian or vegan diet. The fiber content in this soup is further boosted by the chickpeas and farro, creating a truly satisfying and gut-friendly meal.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) are a cornerstone of plant-based diets, celebrated for their high protein and fiber content. They contribute to satiety, help regulate blood sugar, and provide essential minerals like iron, folate, and manganese. Their creamy texture also adds a wonderful mouthfeel to the soup, making it incredibly comforting and filling without relying on heavy creams.
Farro, an ancient grain with a delightful chewy texture, is another unsung hero in this soup. It’s a whole grain, meaning it retains all its nutritious components—the bran, germ, and endosperm. This translates to a rich supply of fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. Farro’s complex carbohydrates provide sustained energy, making this soup a perfect choice for keeping you energized throughout the day. Its nutty flavor perfectly complements the smoky paprika and savory broth.
Together, these ingredients create a synergistic effect, delivering a meal that is not only delicious but also profoundly nourishing. Every spoonful offers a balanced blend of macronutrients and micronutrients, supporting overall health and well-being. This soup is a testament to the fact that healthy eating can be both easy and incredibly flavorful.
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Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 cups farro, cooked
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 3 garlic , minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 – 15 oz. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 – 14.5 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 cups kale, stems removed and chopped {or try swiss chard or spinach}
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese, to garnish
Instructions
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Cook the farro according to the package instructions and set aside.
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Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch over over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and the bay leaf and sauté for 6-7 minutes, until the onion is soft.
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Add the rosemary, water, vegetable broth, chickpeas, fire roasted diced tomatoes, smoked paprika and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
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Stir in the kale and farro and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the kale is wilted.
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Stir in the green onions, fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan on top and crusty bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Serving Suggestions and Delicious Variations for Your Kale Chickpea Farro Soup
This Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup is a complete meal in itself, but it truly shines when paired thoughtfully. My absolute favorite accompaniment is a slice of warm, crusty bread, perfect for soaking up every last drop of the flavorful broth. A light side salad, perhaps with a simple vinaigrette, would beautifully complement the richness of the soup, adding a fresh, zesty contrast. For an extra touch of indulgence and flavor, a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or a dairy-free alternative for a fully vegan option) on top is highly recommended just before serving. The cheese melts slightly into the hot soup, creating a creamy texture and a delightful savory kick.
One of the best things about homemade soup is its versatility. Don’t be afraid to make this recipe your own! Here are a few ideas to customize your Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup:
- Greens Swap: While kale is fantastic, you can easily substitute it with other leafy greens. Swiss chard, spinach, or even collard greens would work wonderfully. Just be mindful of cooking times, as some greens wilt faster than others.
- Spice It Up: If you enjoy a bit of heat, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the smoked paprika. For an even bolder flavor, a dash of liquid smoke can enhance that smoky profile.
- Add More Veggies: Feel free to toss in other seasonal vegetables. Diced zucchini, bell peppers, or even small florets of broccoli or cauliflower could add more texture and nutrients. Add them during the simmering phase so they cook through.
- Protein Boost: For those who aren’t strictly vegetarian or vegan, shredded chicken or turkey could be added at the end for an extra protein punch. Lentils are another great plant-based addition that would increase the fiber and protein content.
- Herbacious Twist: Experiment with different fresh herbs. Thyme or sage could be lovely additions, complementing the rosemary and parsley already in the recipe. Stir them in at the very end to preserve their fresh flavor.
This soup is also fantastic for meal prepping. Make a large batch at the beginning of the week, and you’ll have wholesome, ready-to-eat lunches or dinners for days. It tends to taste even better the next day as the flavors meld and deepen. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or freeze portions for longer storage, ensuring you always have a nutritious and comforting meal on hand.
Embrace Wholesome Cooking with This Flavorful Soup
This Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup is more than just a recipe; it’s an invitation to embrace wholesome, flavorful cooking. It proves that healthy meals can be incredibly delicious, satisfying, and easy to prepare, even on busy weeknights. The combination of superfood kale, protein-rich chickpeas, and ancient grain farro makes it a powerhouse of nutrition, while the smoky paprika creates a cozy, inviting aroma and taste that truly captures the essence of fall and winter. We hope this soup becomes a beloved staple in your kitchen, bringing warmth, comfort, and good health to your table. Don’t forget to share your creations and tag us on social media!