Looking for a high-protein meal that's easy to make, leaves tons of leftovers, and can feed the whole family? Chicken Farro Soup is a classic Italian dish that is absolutely delicious and leaves no one hungry.
If you're looking for more Italian soups you might want to try White Bean Lentil Soup, The Creamiest Mascarpone Mushroom Soup, Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup, Pasta Fagioli with Spinach, or Zuppa Toscana.
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Why this recipe works
This recipe is one of our family favorites because it's filling. The key to making dinner for the whole family is to make sure everyone leaves full.
This recipe is also a one-dish-feeds-all. You don't have to cook something alongside it. It has plenty of vegetables, proteins, and grains.
Farro is one of my favorite grains to add. It's commonly used in Italian and Mediterranean cooking. It's high in fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. It's a great alternative to rice.
Using bone broth is a little more expensive, but by a simple comparison of the nutrient label, you'll see why. It's higher in protein, 3-fold, and has way less salt.
This dish is the ultimate family meal and if your kids love soup, this is perfect for them!
Video Recipe
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Farro. This is such a healthy grain to try and add to your diet. It's delicious and so similar to rice. BUT, if you don't have farro, feel free to substitute white rice in this soup. You only need to simmer white rice for 15 minutes though, so don't add it until you remove the chicken.
Chicken broth. Chicken broth or chicken bone broth? There has been a big bone broth phase going on in the world. It definitely has a different taste to it but I prefer it because it is higher in protein and lower in sodium. You could use either!
Seasoning. I love paprika, turmeric, and cardamom in chicken farro soup but there are plenty of other options you could season with. You could add curry and ginger, or just keep it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Vegetarian? Looking to forgo the meat? If you searched for chicken and farro soup you may not be here for a veggie option but just in case, you can use vegetable broth instead and substitute chickpeas for the chicken!
Step-by-step directions
Season chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven to medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breast on both sides for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Searing chicken not only improves the flavor of the chicken but it also makes the soup more rich and flavorful from all the brown bits left behind during the searing.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the olive oil. Stir in the carrots, onion, and celery. Saute until softening about 8 minutes.
Combine the oregano, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir in half of the seasoning mix with the vegetables. We will season in layers, so save the rest for later.
Add the garlic and tomato paste saute for 3 minutes. Then stir in the roma tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Then add your chicken back to the soup, along with a cup of farro, the rest of the seasoning, chopped parsley, and the bay leaves. I also like to add a parmigiana rind here too. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165℉.
Remove the chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then use two forks to shred it.
Continue simmering the soup for 15 more minutes. Remove the chicken and use two forks to shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the soup once it is ready to serve.
Taste and adjust salt to taste. You may need to use extra salt especially if you used bone broth instead of regular broth.
Remove the bay leaves and squeeze in the juice from ½ a lemon. I like to serve this soup covered in pecorino romano if I have any.
Pro-tips
- Don't taste the soup for at least 10 minutes after adding the chicken back in. Remember the chicken was still raw.
- You can leave your soup simmering all day, but remember to add water occasionally so that it doesn't taste too salty. As you keep simmering it will keep thickening because the liquid will steam off.
How to save and reheat
One of my favorite kitchen tips to bring down the temperature of a soup quickly is to place a bunch of ice in your sink and fill it with water. Then, place the pot of soup into the ice bath. Stir it occasionally and it will be cold in 15 minutes.
Then you can save it in airtight containers in the fridge or the freezer. This will also help the soup last longer because it's not sitting at room temperature for a long time.
Freeze this soup for up to 6 months, and store it in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Reheat by placing the soup in a pot on the stove on medium heat and heat through until warm again.
FAQs
Season throughout the cooking process, especially while sauteing the vegetables. This will help develop a rich and full flavor. Taste throughout the cooking process to see how the flavor is developing. Don't just wait until the end and hope for the best.
Remove the chicken from the soup when it reaches 165℉. Let it sit for 5 minutes before shredding it. Add it back into the soup when you're ready to serve.
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear about what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Our favorite soups
📖 Recipe
EASY Chicken Farro Soup
Equipment
- 1 large stock pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 calabrian pepper (sub jalapeno pepper if you want)
- 2.5 qts chicken broth (or bone broth)
- 1 cup farro
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Season chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven to medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breast on both sides for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the olive oil. Stir in the carrots, onion, and celery. Saute until softening about 8 minutes. Combine the oregano, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in half of the seasoning. Add the garlic and tomato paste and saute for 3 minutes. Then stir in the roma tomatoes and saute for 3-5minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Then add your chicken back to the soup, along with the cup of farro, the rest of the seasoning, the bay leaves, and a parmigiana rind if you have. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165℉. Remove the chicken and use two forks to shred it. Continue simmering the soup for 15 more minutes. Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Taste the soup and adjust salt to taste.
- Remove the bay leaves and squeeze the ½ lemon into the soup. Serve.
Notes
- Don't taste the soup for at least 10 minutes after adding the chicken back in. Remember the chicken was still raw.
- Farro is higher in protein than rice. Bone broth is higher in protein than regular chicken broth. I like to use farro and chicken bone broth because it's slightly higher in calories and has more nutrients. You can substitute rice or regular chicken broth though.
Ilana
Easy this was. I think one can never go wrong with farro in the soup- love the nice touch with the jalapeno and bone broth. The soup came out filling and savory. I will make sure to return for more soup ideas. Thank you!