Sausage soup with Spinach and Farro is a comforting soup recipe that’s healthy too! We top this hearty soup with grated parmesan cheese and fresh pepper!
We love hearty soup recipes like this all year long. Soup season is every season at our house! Also be sure to check out our ever popular Beefy Tomato Soup with ground beef and noodles, or this Italian Wedding Soup that we’ve adapted to have much larger, more fun meatballs!
A Comforting Soup Recipe That’s Good For You, Too!
Of course we DO love all those creamy, pasta filled comfort food recipes. I mean, of course we do, because we have a lot of them here on the site. But sometimes you want a bowl full of love that isn’t going to weigh you gown and that’s where this Sausage Soup with Spinach and Farro comes in.
We used chicken sausage in this soup recipe to lighten it up just a little bit, but of course you can use Italian sausage too. If you’re really looking to lighten this soup up swap it our with ground turkey, chicken or lean ground beef.
The best flavor is going to comes from using sausage but this soup is so flavorful with fennel seed, bay leaves and aromatic vegetables that you won’t be disappointed either way.
What Is Farro?
Farro is a hulled what that is typically sold dried and prepared by cooking in water (or in a soup recipe like this one) until soft and chewy. Farro is a very nutritious grain and is a much more healthy alternative than just using rice or pasta.
Farro has a deliciously nutty flavor and chewy texture that really can’t be substituted. Also, farro is perfect for using in soup because it won’t soak up all the broth like pasta or noodles will.
How To Make Sausage Soup with Spinach and Farro
Heat oil in a dutch oven or soup pot. Add onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add sausage to the pot and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces as it browns. Once the sausage has browned through, add the garlic and stir into the sausage and onions.
Add the salt, pepper and fennel seed then pour in the beef broth, stirring to scrape up the bottom of the pot.
Pour in the diced tomatoes with juice, add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. While the soup is simmering, add the farro and spinach, stir and partially cover with a lid. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes, stirring in between so the farro doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed and then serve with fresh black pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
What Can I Substitute For Farro In This Soup Recipe?
If you don’t want to use farro, you can use pretty much any noodles or pasta shape you like. Rice or brown rice is a good option, too or if you want to keep this soup low carb just leave it out!
Can I Make This Sausage Soup Ahead Of Time?
Yes you definitely can. Farro won’t soak up all of the broth like pasta or rice and it tends to keep it’s firm texture even when sitting in broth for a period of time. Alternately, you can make this soup and add the cooked farro separately to each bowl if you prefer, but we really don’t find that to be necessary.
This Sausage Soup with Spinach and Farro recipe also freezes really well if you want to make big pots of it and freeze it for individual lunches or for an easy dinner recipe. Serve this soup with big pieces of crusty bread for dipping and dinner is done!
Looking For More Soup Recipes?
- Creamy Potato Soup with Italian Sausage
- Beefy Taco Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Hearty Chicken Cacciatore Soup
- Homemade Turkey Soup
Sausage Soup with Spinach and Farro
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis hearty and comforting soup recipe is good for you too! Made lighter with chicken sausage, this soup is loaded with vegetables and while grain, nutty farro!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/ cup diced carrot
- 1 pound chicken sausage, removed from casings
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
- 9 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup farro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or soup pot. Add onion and carrot and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened, stirring often.
- Add the chicken sausage to the pot and brown while breaking up into smaller pieces with a spoon. Once the sausage has browned through, add the garlic and stir to combine.
- Add the salt, pepper and fennel seed and then pour in the beef broth, stirring to scrape up the bottom of the pot.
- Next, add the diced tomatoes with juice and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a simmer. Once the soup is simmering, stir in the farro and spinach and then partially cover with a lid. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes, stirring in between so the farro doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasonings if needed and then serve with fresh black pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
