With white beans, farro, sausage, and tomatoes, Minestra is hearty, easy to make, and ready in under 30 minutes! Serve as a main dish or side.
This recipe was originally published December 11, 2019. It was updated September 29, 2021.
Article summary:
In this post we will be making minestra. A warm and comforting Italian bean soup, this recipe is easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes. Serve it with grated parmesan cheese, black pepper, and crusty bread. Read on to learn how to make the soup, read recipe pro-tips, and more.
Table of contents
This minestra soup is a restaurant copycat recipe from one of my favorite restaurants in Fort Collins, RARE. Usually, I like to switch things up when I eat out, but when at RARE I have a hard time not ordering this Italian sausage and bean soup or their beef and sausage ragu.
Given that I order the soup every time, I figure it's well enough time that I create my own recipe of it to enjoy at home... in my pajamas... at any hour I want (I mean, have you ever had soup for breakfast?!) at any time I want. 'Cause why else does one cook at home??
Sure, sure. There may be other reasons to cook at home, but with rapidly shorter growing days, it's the only one I can really get into more than curling up with a good book or going to bed at 7 PM.
But before I scare you away with what a granny I am, let's get into this beauty of a farro soup, shall we?
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This Italian bean soup is...
- Savory
- Salty
- Meaty
- Comforting
... and a great quick dinner option for cooler fall and winter days.
Ingredients:
- Farro - either instant and traditional farro
- Sweet Italian Sausage - either chicken or pork raw/bulk sausage
- White or yellow onion
- Canned diced tomatoes - the better quality tomatoes, the better the soup will taste
- Canned cannellini beans
- Beef or chicken stock - preferably beef
- Garlic - fresh is best
- Dried basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt
Substitutions:
- Italian sausage - raw/bulk hot Italian sausage (either chicken or pork) can work in place of the sweet Italian sausage for some extra heat.
- Farro - many other grains can substitute for the farro. Cooked orzo, quinoa, or couscous are all delicious.
- Beans - canned navy beans, garbanzo beans, or kidney beans can substitute for the cannellini beans.
How to make Italian minestra soup:
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it sputters when flicked with water.
- Add onion & sausage to the pan and cook stirring frequently to break up the sausage until the sausage is cooked through.
- Add garlic and basil and sauté until fragrant.
- Add in the broth & tomatoes to the pot. Turn the heat up to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Add in beans and farro. Simmer the soup for 2 minutes, or until the beans are heated through.
- Season the soup with salt to taste. Ladle the soup into large bowls, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a few cracks of pepper. Serve hot!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Cook the farro ahead of time. See below for farro cooking directions. To save on farro cooking time, use instant farro (found at Trader Joe's.)
- Use beef broth, if possible. This will add the best depth of flavor to the soup. Chicken broth certainly works as a back up but doesn't have as much savory depth of flavor as does beef.
- Salt the soup adequately. Salt makes the world of difference in the flavor of a soup. Season the soup sufficiently, or until all of the soup flavors pop.
Recipe FAQs:
To decase raw sausage, pinch the sausage in the middle with both hands. Pull your hands away from each other while continuing to pinch. The sausage will come out the ends of the sausage. Repeat with additional sausages.
You cook farro just like pasta. Heat up a few quarts of heavily salted water (2-3 teaspoons salt) until it's boiling.
Pour the farro into the water, and cook according to the package directions cooking time, stirring every 5 or so minutes. Drain the farro in a colander and use a directed.
Serving suggestions:
Serve this soup as a main dish with grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and black pepper alongside a crusty bread or focaccia.
This soup can also be served as an appetizer or first course for a family dinner, Sunday dinner, or dinner party. It's delicious served with:
- Instant Pot Beef Ragu
- Mushroom Farro Risotto
- Instant Pot Cheese Risotto
- Chicken Bolognese Sauce
- Baked Italian Sausage Pasta
Dietary adaptations:
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. To make it dairy-free, simply omit the parmesan cheese or substitute it with vegan parmesan cheese.
Storage directions:
- Refrigeration: leftover soup keeps covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days
- Freezing: cooled soup can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
More easy soup and chili recipes:
- Italian Lentil Soup
- Turkey Rice Soup
- Creamy White Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Instant Pot Bean Soup
- Steak Soup
- Pressure Cooker Spiced Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup
- Jackfruit Chili
- Pumpkin Sausage Soup
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Minestra (Farro Soup)
A hearty Italian soup that comes together in under 30 minutes, is rich and flavorful and makes the perfect leftovers. Filling enough to serve as a main dish, but also delicious as a side or appetizer.
See the cooking notes below for tips on how to de-case sausage, my thoughts on the best type of broth to use, and other handy tips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro, cooked according to package directions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large white or yellow onion, diced finely
- 1 lb. raw pork or chicken Sweet Italian sausage, de-cased or bulk
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1.5 quarts beef or chicken stock (preferably beef)
- 1, 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1, 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it sputters when flicked with water.
- Add onion & sausage to the pan and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently to break up the sausage until the sausage is cooked through.
- Add garlic and basil and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add in the broth & tomatoes to the pot. Turn the heat up to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Add in beans and farro. Simmer the soup for 2 minutes, or until the beans are heated through.
- Season the soup with salt to taste. Ladle the soup into large bowls, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a few cracks of pepper. Serve hot!
Notes
1. The nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated with chicken sausage and store-bought low-fat beef broth.
2. To save time making this soup, use quick-cook farro.
3. To de-case raw sausage, grab the sausage in the middle, pinching with your pointer finger, middle finger, and thumb on each hand. Then pull away from each other while continuing to pinch and the sausage will come out the ends of the sausage. Repeat with any additional sausages until you've de-cased all the sausages.
4. This soup will keep covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. It also will freeze for 2-3 months in an airtight and freezer-safe container.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
⅛ of the recipe, made with chicken sausage and store bought beef brothAmount Per Serving Calories 375Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 213mgSodium 846mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 5gSugar 3gProtein 20g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
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