Every Season Minestrone w/ Kale & Farro

Minestrone is a rustic, a-little-of-this and a-little-of-that kind of soup—the kind my grandmother and great-grandmother used to clean out the vegetable drawer in every season. Get comfortable with the basics of this version and it will become a reliable, invaluable meal in your everyday repertoire, (with some bread alongside for dipping).

Take note: I like farro in minestrone, but you can cook small, tube-shaped pasta like ditalini or macaroni separately and stir it into the soup just before serving. (Kids love it this way.) Most important, do use good-quality dried beans (I like Rancho Gordo’s) to ensure freshness, and use the real-deal Parmigiano-Reggiano and your best-quality olive oil for generously topping the soup. These ingredients make all the difference.

Photo credit: Samantha Cooper

• Shortcuts

  • Soak the beans for 6 to 8 hours or overnight and you can cut their cooking time in half.

  • Canned beans don’t offer the fullest flavor and best texture, but in a pinch they allow you to get minestrone on the table fast! You can use 1 or 2 cans (15½ ounces) cannellini beans and/or kidney beans, rinsed and drained; or look for canned borlotti beans at Italian specialty stores.

  • Feel free to use precut kale or baby spinach here. Remove any thick kale stalks and give the leaves a rinse.

  • Curly kale freezes really well. I like to keep 6 to 8 cups trimmed and cut kale in a zip-top bag in the freezer so that I can make this soup whenever the mood strikes.

• Scrap savings

  If you don’t have a rind or chunk of Parmesan, try a generous spoonful of white or red miso paste or nutritional yeast (or skip it).

• Make a greener soup

  Add another 2 cups kale or spinach leaves, finely chopped zucchini or green beans, and/or a spoonful of pesto on top.

• Variations

  Play around, adding different vegetables depending on the season and the produce you have on hand.

Ingredients

1 cup dried cranberry, borlotti, or cannellini beans, picked through and rinsed (see Shortcuts)

Fine sea salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, ¼-inch diced

3 large carrots, ¼-inch diced

4 to 5 large celery ribs, ¼-inch diced 6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup red wine (or 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar)

8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

Finely chopped leaves from 1 sprig (3 inches) fresh rosemary (optional)

½ cup dry farro, rinsed and drained

2- inch Parmesan rind or ½-ounce chunk of Parmesan cheese (optional, but recommended)

6 to 8 cups chopped curly or lacinato kale leaves or 5 ounces chopped baby spinach

1  can (28 ounces) tomato puree

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Best-quality olive oil

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

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Cooking directions

1. Cook the beans. If you presoaked the beans, drain and rinse them. Place the beans in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by a depth of 1 inch. If using unsoaked beans, place them in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by just over 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to maintain a low but steady simmer. Add 1 teaspoon salt and give the beans a stir. Gently simmer the beans, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed, until tender, not overly soft, checking a few beans to ensure consistency. Generally, this takes about 45 minutes for soaked cranberry, borlotti, and cannellini beans and 75 to 90 minutes for unsoaked beans. Remove the beans from the heat and let them stand. (Once they’re cool, you can refrigerate them in their broth for up to 3 days.)

2. Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and turn golden in places, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant and it just begins to soften.

3. Carefully add the red wine (or balsamic vinegar) and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another minute or so until the wine (or vinegar) has been absorbed and cooked off. The vegetables should appear very glossy.

4. Add the vegetable stock, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and rosemary, if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the farro and Parmesan rind and give it a stir. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is al dente, about 20 minutes.

5. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer the cooked beans to the soup. Add 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid (or 2 cups of water if the bean broth isn’t available). Stir in the kale (or spinach), tomato puree, and pepper. Return the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat again to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes more until the kale is wilted, the farro is tender, and the soup reduces slightly. Add more water, bean cooking liquid, or stock at any point to thin the soup to your liking.

6. Turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Stir in 2 tablespoons of your best olive oil. Adjust salt and pepper to taste (considering the final addition of salty cheese at the table).

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To serve:

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and top each generously with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly ground black pepper, and more of your best oil.