A warming Italian soup to have when you get home

Recipes like these are woven into the course of our crazy lives, between good intentions and just keeping it together.

A warming, hearty winter Italian soup is always a good idea. Photography: Hugh Forte

Sara Forte

less than 2 min read

11:30AMJune 18, 2024.

Updated 1:37PMJune 21, 2024

The Weekend Australian Magazine

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At a time of increasing food intolerances and dietary preferences, “healthy” feels wildly subjective; it’s something only marketing dollars can make us believe is a one-size-fits-all word. So these recipes are seasonally minded and invoke feelings of bounty. This is food that works for me and my family, food that brings us around our table.

Recipes like these are woven into the course of our crazy lives, between good intentions and just keeping it together, whether our table is just our family or filled with friends. This is abundance.

This is a great soup to prep ahead for busy days, when you come home and need to have dinner already made. If you aren’t using the parboiled, quick-cooking farro, you’ll
need to add 10 more minutes to that simmering step.

Try also my everyday lentil soup, and chicken and parmesan meatballs.

Around Our Table by Sara Forte.

Perfect to prepare ahead for when you get home.

Italian winter soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 250g hot Italian sausage, optional
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
• 1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 140g quick-cooking farro
• 1 x 400g can cannellini or white beans
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups chopped kale
• Grated Parmesan
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and sauté another minute until fragrant. If you are using the sausage, push the meat out of the casing and brown it, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the tomato paste and mixed herbs, the tomatoes, stock, farro, and beans and simmer gently, cover ajar, until the grains are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar and kale. Give it a minute or two to wilt, then taste and adjust for seasoning.
5. Serve in bowls with lots of fresh Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Serves 6

This is an edited extract from Around Our Table by Sara Forte. Photography by Hugh Forte.