2/6/2026 – This tomato-based soup with chickpeas, farro, and spinach was very good and filling. It was inspired by the recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod. Servings: 6.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped roughly
- 1 carrot, chopped into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 celery rib, chopped into ½-inch cubes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 30 oz vegetable broth. As she had no more vegetable broth and it was too thick, Mary added Swanson’s chicken broth. See Next Time below for a recipe like Billy’s to make the stock fresh, starting 1.5 hours earlier with the same vegetables.
- 28 oz can of diced San Marzano tomatoes with juices
- 15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1½ cups farro. Next time, add only 1 cup as 1½ seemed too much.
- 1 cup packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese, grated for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables’ until the edges begin to soften. Add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, farro, basil, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Simmer for 1 hour. Adjusted the seasoning by adding salt and pepper.
- Add the spinach and stir just until wilted. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.
Next time
- Use less farro as noted in the Ingredients.
- Cook longer as the farro was still soaking up the liquid.
- Use our homemade Ina’s Chicken Stock
- Or, make vegetable stock like Billy here, but using the following process before assembling the above soup.
- 1½ Onions, in large pieces
- an equal amount of carrots in large pieces
- an equal amount of celery in large pieces
- Season with salt and pepper
- In a large pot over low heat, lightly sweat the vegetables in olive oil for 15-20 minutes.
- Place fresh (or dry) thyme, 2 bay leaves, and 8 peppercorns in the pot.
- Add 1 gallon of water and bring to a boil
- Simmer for 1 hour
- Strain out all solids
- Make the soup in this hot vegetable stock.
