The holidays are almost here, but I’ve been eating like it’s Thanksgiving for the past few weeks. Food blogger problems! I’m seeking balance in the meals in between recipe testing by filling my belly with my favorite veggie-packed meals.
Case in point: This sweet potato, kale, chickpea and farro soup, which is both impossible to describe using fewer words. I shared this recipe five years ago, and it’s still one of my favorites.
I’m counting down the minutes until I can heat up a big bowlful of this soup for lunch. It’s spicy, filling, satisfying, and overflowing with so-called power foods and whole grain goodness. The Thai red curry paste might seem like an unlikely pairing for sweet potatoes, kale and farro, but somehow it just works.
I love this soup because each main ingredient contributes flavor while retaining its texture. The farro stays nice and chewy, the chickpeas don’t turn to mush like lentils might, the sweet potatoes retain their delicate bite, and the kale never wilts into nothingness like spinach tends to do.
While remaking the soup so I could take photos of it, I adjusted the ingredients and cooking method a bit. I used a fresh red bell pepper instead of chopping up roasted bell pepper, and found that the soup didn’t need nearly as long on the stove as the recipe originally suggested.
If you’re craving more hearty soups to get you through the holidays, check out my soup archives. Don’t miss the eight soup recipes in my cookbook, Love Real Food. Those soups are downright magical, if I can say so myself.
PrintVegan Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This hearty and delicious soup is perfect for warming up. It’s an easy, nutritious, one-pot meal that makes great leftovers, too! Recipe yields 6 bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (2 small to medium or 1 large), peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste*
- 1 cup uncooked farro, rinsed** (or 3 cups cooked whole grains, like wheat berries, spelt berries or kamut)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ bunch of kale (4 ounces), chopped (about 3 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste (optional, if you like it extra spicy like me)
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, sweet potato and salt. Sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the curry paste and stir until the vegetables are coated and the curry is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the farro, if that’s your grain of choice. Add the vegetable broth and water, and stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
- Test the farro for doneness—if it’s tender and cooked through, add the chickpeas and kale. Stir to combine, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the kale is cooked to your liking. If you chose to use pre-cooked whole grains, add them now. (If the farro is not done cooking yet, continue simmering until it’s tender, then proceed with the kale. This could take another 20 minutes, depending on the farro.)
- Taste, and season with more salt as needed. I usually add about ½ teaspoon—if the soup tastes flat, add more salt. To kick up the flavor a notch and balance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, stir in the optional cayenne pepper.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. I like this soup even more the next day. Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for about 4 days. The soup freezes well, too.
Notes
Recipe based on Heidi Swanson’s farro soup in Super Natural Every Day.
Serving suggestions: This soup is vegan, but mighty tasty with a side of whole wheat toast slathered with goat cheese.
*Thai red curry paste: Look for it in the Asian/international section of the grocery store. I like Thai Kitchen brand, which is vegan (some brands contain shrimp). You can substitute 1 tablespoon curry powder for the curry paste, for a totally different flavor.
**Whole grain notes:Â I prefer using farro as the whole grain because it requires less cooking time than wheat berries, spelt berries or kamut, so it can be cooked along with the soup. The soup is great with those other whole grains, but you’ll want to start cooking those in a separate pot well before the farro; just add the whole grains along with the chickpeas so no ingredients are overcooked or lose their texture.
▸ Nutrition Information
Here’s the original photo from 2012.
Dara
This looks delicious!!! Love it. I too, am experiencing some tight jeans related crankiness, so I made my version last night. Your photos are gorgeous and those bowls are super cute!
Julia
My skinny jeans are now the muffin liners to my muffin top. It’s glorious.
I just did a mental inventory of what’s in my fridge/cabinets and I have all the ingredients for this. Hooray!!!!! Totally make it this weekend!
kate
Ha! Your comment totally cracked me up, Julia. Glad I don’t have the only post-holiday muffin top in blog town. :)
Heather
This will be the perfect soup to break in my new pot once the weather cools down around here! Not only are my pants a little tight, but I’m going to Hawaii in March, so your recipe comes at just the right time. I like those bowls, they look like flowers! And is that your new cutting board and knife I spy?!
kate
Thanks, Heather! You have plenty of time before March. And yes, you did spy my new cutting board and knife! You’re so observant! I love them; you’ll probably see those pieces in every post hereafter.
Jacqui
This is my kind of soup! And I’m looking forward to a little less tight jeans as well : )
Supal {chevrons and
You and me alike. I get super cranks when my pants don’t fit. I have been eating very healthy to shed some pounds for my cousin’s wedding. Will have to make this soup! I LOVE kale and chick peas in general.
kate
If you love kale and chickpeas, I promise you will love this soup! Hope you give it a try, Supal!
dana @ my little cel
Well aren’t you just little miss healthy eats. This soup looks amazing! I’ll have to tag it to try sometime.
btw, I love your blog design! So simple, clean and appeasing to the eye : )
kate
Thank you, Dana! That’s precisely the look I was going for. I’m a total perfectionist.
Leah
Looks yummy!
I love those bowls, where did you get them?!
kate
Thanks, Leah! The bowls are vintage; I couldn’t resist them when I saw them at a local gift shop!
Marcia
I like your attitude! I’m all about moderation not deprivation, and this is a perfect example of clean eating without feeling like you’re being cheated out of the good stuff in life. Thanks for the inspiration!
P.S. Great photos too!
Gina @ Running to th
The soup looks delicious, but I’m in love with those bowls. They’re adorable!
Heidi @ Food Doodles
Yummy! I love soup, even though our weather has been amazingly warm so far this year I’m still craving soups like this. I love the whole grains, although I’d probably have to use some other grain as I haven’t been able to find farro(not for lack of trying!) I have to say the sweet potatoes drew me in, they are so good in soup!
kate
Hey Heidi, I had a really hard time finding farro, too! I brought some home from my trip to Cleveland. I can’t tell a noticeable difference between farro and wheat berries, so those would be a great substitution. I would just cook the wheat berries separately and add them towards the end.
Alena
This looks AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to try it – I just bought a bag of sweet potatoes and was wondering what to do with them!
Maria
I make a similar soup that I love. I will have to try yours next time!
Jeanine
My skinny jeans are definitely tight with the top button un-buttoned… Thank god for the holidays being over and for kale! Love the red curry paste idea, I never thought of using it in a soup like this, but I will now.
the actor's diet
this looks super yummy. totally want a bowl now!
chinmayie
Sounds soooo good! I am in a very similar situation of eating soups so this recipe is perfect!
Jen @ pretty plate
I like it, I like it a lot!
Can’t wait to try this.
: ))
Jen
Grace
Oh boy! I just completed my grocery list for things to pick up on my walk home from work tonight :) I loooove soup! Can’t wait to try this recipe :D
Katie
This looks so great! I do a similar version using beluga lentils, kale, and sweet potatoes. I’ll have to give your recipe a try!
Stephanie
This looks fantastic. Lots of wholesome great ingredients going on here. First time to your site and happy I found it!
Kate King
one of my favorite winter stews is sweet potato & lentil…think I’ll have to switch out the lentils for chickpeas to make it similar to yours! yum!
Emily
This is a beautiful looking soup! I love sweet potatoes and kale, so I can’t wait to try this.
Katherine Martinelli
This soup looks right up my alley! Hearty and delicious. Bookmarking to make soon, thanks!
Katherine Martinelli
This soup looks right up my alley! Hearty and delicious. Bookmarking to make soon, thanks!
Brenda
The soup is amazing, we had it for sunday dinner. I didn’t have any kale so I used collards and red cabbage leaves from the garden. Thanks for your wonderful recipes, I check your site everyday for something new.
kate
Thank you for commenting, Brenda! I’m so happy to hear that you check my site often. I’ll try to post something in the next couple of days for you. :)
Paula K
Made this tonite after work! It is so easy and flavors develop fast! My husband loved it too saying I was the best chef ever!!!! Thanks for sharing! Btw, I used a cup of uncooked barley and twice the amount of Thai curry paste because we like spice! Very good!
kate
I’m so glad you and your husband loved the soup! I just cooked barley for the first time this morning. I expected it to be a little chewy like wheat berries or farro, but it’s not! I’m already scheming up recipes for it. That was gutsy, doubling the curry paste—the spicier, the better, in my opinion, but I try to tone it down for my readers! I’ll add even more curry paste next time!
sara
looks perfectly hearty and healthy! I will have to try this and I am going through a phase of making a big pot/bowl of something to have through the week when I don’t feel like cooking.
Ashley@BakerbyNature
I’ve been dreaming of soup all day, and now I see THIS – It’s kismet.
Can’t wait to fill my belly with this gorgeous soup.
Mandi
Just made this! I used a combination of sweet potatoes and butternut squash. It turned out great! Thanks for the recipe.
kate
I bet butternut squash is fantastic in this soup. I’ll try that next time! Thank you for commenting, Mandi!
Alex
I just made the soup tonight! It was SO good. I omitted the farro because I was in a pinch and didn’t get a chance to run to the co-op to see if they had any but the soup was just as good without it. Thank god for Pinterest because I wouldn’t have found your blog without it. Count me in as a loyal reader!
Cynthia
I bought what I needed last night and am making this tonight!! I am BEYOND excited. I got wheat berries though instead of farro (thanks for making that suggestion).
kate
So glad to hear it, Cynthia! Please let us know how the soup turned out!
Alex
I made this soup last night and it was delicious! It is definitely going to be a staple dish for me and you now have a loyal follower. The only thing I would advise to anyone making this dish is that as delicious as it is- the recipe as is packs a punch with the sodium (vegetable broth, curry paste)- when I make this again, I’m going to omit sprinkling the salt in the beginning- the soup will have enough of it by the end.
kate
So glad to hear you’re following, Alex! You have a good point on sodium—I actually used sodium-free veggie bouillon cubes instead of regular veggie broth, but I added salt liberally, so who knows how it turned out. The reasoning for sprinkling salt in the beginning is to bring out the flavor of the onions and help them release water, but of course that step is up to you!
Alex
I will definitely have to use bouillon cubes next time! I’ve never used them before. Thanks for the tip =D
kate
You’re welcome, Alex! I like the Rapunzel brand. Heidi Swanson recommended that brand in one of her books—it’s been easy to find and it’s even less expensive than canned veggie broth. I dare say it tastes better, too!
Alexia
this is such a great soup! i love the spiciness of the thai curry mixed with subtle flavours from the sweet potato and kale. yum!
Averil
A ‘tummylicious’ soup. The first picture had me hooked.
Amy (Savory Moments)
The combination in this soup looks delicious!
Elvi
I made this soup with what I had on hand, after seeing it recommended by Emeline at http://www.emelineandannabelle.com/news/daily/friday-sendoff-food-fight/ . It is awesome, even missing some ingredients that I didn’t have. I’m on my second bowl, and both my teenaged daughters like it too, so it’s a win all round. I substituted middle eastern ‘foul’ beans (sometimes called fava) for chick peas, yellow curry paste for red, and I didn’t put in any grains at all, so I reduced the broth. Oh, and I left out the red pepper and cayenne, too…. I’ll add some of the missing stuff the next time I make it, which will be very, very soon since we are almost out already! It’s good with a dollop of sour cream in it, too.
Blair
LOVED IT!! We just had it for dinner… made it exactly like the recipe except for using butternut squash instead of sweet potato since I had one I needed to use… Soooooo good… The curry paste MAKES this recipe… Awesome!
radhi
thanks so much for this awesome recipe! so happy to have discovered your site!
kirsten
Just made this tonight. So YUM! Thanks for sharing. Love this and the Food Matters stuff you are doing. I went ahead and got that book. Great ideas and recipes.
Hope you are well!!
kate
Your comments always make me so happy, Kirsten! I love that you are a fan of the Food Matters Project. That cookbook is one of my very favorites, if not my VERY favorite!
Fiona
I want you to know that I made this and it was delicious! I used quinoa instead of farro, though.
Mark Koch
Hi Kate
Just made this for my wife, my son and his girlfriend. It turned out great. I couldn’t find Farro so I used some Bulgur instead. The Bulgur cooked up kind of chunky in the soup, so I took out about 1/4 of the soup before adding kale and pureed it and added it back, which made for a nicer overall consistency.
Looking forward to having this all week, what a great healthy recipe.
Had found your blog by googling this particular recipe. After having a chance to look around, really wanted to thank you for the care and effort you have put into all the great healthy recipes and beautiful professional layout.
Kris
I absolutely love your blog Kate…I have shared it on my Facebook page and have passed it on to my sister and a dear fellow vegetarian friend who both have replied with excitement.
Last night I made your sweet potato, kale and chick pea soup…i made a few changes used paprika and turmeric instead of red curry paste(not a fan of curry), I added a small amount of white wine and used Santina pasta(tiny stars) …it was absolutely delicious!
I also made your Macaroons minus the chocolate…I am making more today…so so good!! I may try 50/50 honey and maple syrup.
Thank you so much! Looking forward to making more of your recipes.
Kate
Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing my blog, Kris. I’m delighted to hear that you are enjoying my recipes. Please let me know how the others turn out. Happy holidays!
Deborah
I’m making this soup for the first time, I’m on a low sodium “heart healthy” diet so I didn’t add salt and I used low sodium broth. It smells delicious!
Kate
Made the soup on a chilly, gray day. It was delicious! Loved the kick from the curry paste and cayenne. This is my new favorite winter dish. Thanks!
Kate
Thanks for commenting, Kate! This soup is one of my very favorite winter meals. So glad you agree.
Ellen Christian
I cannot wait to try this. I hope I can find red Thai curry paste in our store.
Gracie Fred
I made this soup many times last winter, and now I’m back for more! It really is so good. I was lucky enough to find farro at my grocery store, but I also tried a version with wheat berries–that was good too! I’m making a pot of this now, and will divide it up into glass jars to bring for lunch at work. I usually have quite an appetite at lunch, so I’m throwing some extra beans this time–one can of garbanzo and one can of great northern white beans. Hopefully the extra beans won’t overpower the flavor and I’ll stay satisfied longer. Thanks for this tasty winter treat. :)
Kate
Thanks, G.Fred. I’ve been craving this soup all winter and might just have to make some after I get back from my conference trip next week. I’m feeling a little fluffy after the holidays and I think this soup is just the ticket, filling but not too heavy. Good idea with the extra beans! P.s. miss you, hope to see you sometime soon.
Victoria
This soup looks amazing! The only thing is I’m not really a fan of grains in soups. Do you think it would turn out all right if I left them out? Should I use less broth? Or substitute in more veggies? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Victoria, please forgive my delayed response. I really do love farro in soups because it doesn’t get mushy like pasta or rice. However, I think you could leave out the farro. Either less brother or more veggies would balance it out, I think. Good thinking!
Victoria
You know, I think I will try the farro. If it’s not really my thing, I can always make it again without. There’s a lot of winter left here in Chicago!
FL
Thank you for this recipe. I would marry this soup–if it was a man and I wasn’t already married.
Kate
Haha. Thanks for the great comment, F!
mary-blanton
OBSESSED! Made this tonight, but substituted barley for the farro because it is what I had in the pantry! Took a bit of extra liquid but was SO flavorful and wholesome. Perfect for this chilly night!
Kate
Woohoo! Thanks, Mary. I’m glad you loved the soup.
Lana
Just made this last night – doubled the recipe. I often make double batches of soup on Sundays so that my boyfriend and I can enjoy it the entire week. We both have big appetites and don’t get tired of eating the same thing for several days. Also I had all the ingredients besides the red curry paste and didn’t want to go to the store, so I substituted Sriracha (!) along with a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce! I was a little afraid of how it would turn out, but it’s pretty good, especially the next day. I can’t wait to make is using red curry paste, though. I suspect that will be better.
Kate
Thanks for commenting, Lana! I’m glad you both enjoyed the soup. I bet sriracha turned out pretty well, though I think you might like it even better with red curry paste! Hope you’ll give it a try before the weather gets too warm.
Tatiana
This was amazing and so easy to make! Thanks for the recipe! I am excited to eat later ;)
Kate
Thanks for commenting, Tatiana! Glad you’re enjoying it!
Lindsay
I have made this soup twice now and it is absolutely incredible! We had a soup cook-off at work last week, and this recipe was a huge hit. I couldn’t find farro, so I did use rice, but I cooked it separately and would add it to the soup in the morning before work and had no problem with consistency. At the cook off, I left rice on the side for people to add in as they please.
All in all – my favourite homemade soup to date. Definitely a keeper!!
Kate
Woohoo! Thanks, Lindsay! I’m glad my soup went over well at your cook-off. :)
Marissa
Currently enjoying a big bowl of this, so good! I was low on vegetable broth so I added a can of coconut milk, super creamy and delicious. I love all your recipes, keep em’ coming!
Kate
Thank you for commenting, Marissa! Really glad that you enjoy my recipes. :)
Julie
I have been making this soup on a regular basis now for 2 years because it makes such a healthy and satisfying lunch! I often cook a big batch on Sundays and store in single serving dishes so i can easily grab and take to the office throughout the week. It also freezes well if you want to save for later. The last time I made it, I sauteed the onions by themselves first and then pureed them in a food processor. Then I sauteed the onions and sweet potato together as in your recipe. I found the pureed onions added a lot of depth to the broth.
Thanks again for all your wonderful recipes!
Kate
Julie, I’m delighted to hear that you enjoy this soup so much. I certainly got my fill of it during the recipe testing process, but I think it’s about time I made another batch! Thank you for commenting. I’ve never tried puréeing onions, I’m intrigued!
sara o
Just made this soup for my husband, baby nurse (we just had twins!) and my in-laws: it was a HUGE hit!! thank you! loved it!
Kate
That’s great, Sara! Thank you for commenting, and congratulations on the arrival of your twins!
Quinn
Just made this last night for my husband after a weekend full of brownie sundaes :) (literally ate brownie sundaes for dinner two nights in a row)…you only live once right?!? The soup was delicious!! I used quinoa instead of farro as that’s what I had on hand. I just recently happened upon your blog and I absolutely love it. Your recipes, photos and stories are fantastic. I can’t wait to continue trying other recipes! Keep up the great work!
Kate
Honestly, I ate pretzels and ice cream for lunch yesterday. No regrets. :) Glad you’re enjoying this redeeming soup! Thanks for saying hello!
Heather
I just made this for dinner and it is DELICIOUS! I do believe I have a new favorite go-to soup. Thank for sharing!
Heather
*thanks*
Kate
Awesome! Glad to hear it. Thank you, Heather!
Beth @ Full On Joy
YES! I’ve been in such a soup making mood with the cooler weather so this is definitely happening! Thank you! :)
Meg
This looks amazing and I’m hoping to make it tonight, maybe with the kidney beans and red quinoa we have on hand instead of chickpeas and farro. Think this’ll work with a bag of frozen kale, though? Maybe just add it a bit earlier?
Thanks! And PS– my husband and I LOVE your maple PB choc chip oatmeal cookies!
Kate
Hey Meg! I’ve never worked with frozen kale, but I bet it’ll work just fine as long as it has enough time to warm up. The quinoa won’t retain its texture like farro, though, but if you like quinoa in soups, then I bet you’ll like this soup with quinoa. So glad you both enjoy those cookies!
Katie
Made this tonight with coconut oil instead of olive….AMAZING!!! Highly recommend the coconut to complement the curry!!
Judith
I just made a big pot of your scrumptious (spicy) Vegan Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup. The recipe yields 6 servings… Oops! I just ate half the pot…it’s THAT good! I added 4 medium sized portabella mushrooms (because I had to use today), cut into cubes. Definitely adds texture, but I’m sure your soup is equally yummy, without! This will become a family favorite :) Thank you.
Aileen
This was awesome foundation / inspiration for making a delicioius satisfying crock of soup, but without adjustments totally lacking in flavor.
To make this recipe work, I had to add 2T of marmite to give the broth richness / depth. Even with 2 T of red chili paste I needed to add 1 T of hot sauce (i added Frank’s because that’s what I had in the fridge) and the real highlight was adding 2 teaspoons of cumin. With those additions this is quite possibly one of my favorite soups I’ve ever made. Without, not even close.
Thanks for the inspiration though!
Kate
Sorry you didn’t love the recipe as written, Aileen. Perhaps we used different brands of curry paste and broth?
Rose
Kate, I love you, but I have to agree with Aileen on this one. BUT, I strongIy suspect that you’re right about different stocks. I just finished making the soup using a brand of stock I’ve never used before (from Costco) and found it was sorely lacking oompf. I had to add an extra veggie cube, then an extra mushroom stock cube, a bit of curry powder and a smidge of thyme, as well as some fresh coriander at the end and some parsley. It’s a bit on the sweet side for me, but still quite yummy for a fall day. Thank you so much!
kate
I tried this soup today and it was EXCELLENT! No adjustments needed in my book. I am actually a leukemia survivor, about 1 yr. post transplant, and I have to adjust my diet to include more super foods and more whole grains. This is perfect for my diet, and quite tasty too! Thank you for sharing!
Elisabeth
This was super delicious! I had a bunch of kale and and a giant sweet potato kicking around and was looking for a quick soup recipe… I tweaked it a bit and added a splash of tamari, some alphabet pasta (I have a 7 & 10 yr old), and the real prizewinner: a couple dollops of date & red chili chutney (from Blake Hill Preserves). SO GOOD! Thanks!
Kate
Thanks, Elisabeth! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
Tom
The soup wouldn’t be vegan if you used bouillon.
Kate
I used vegetable bouillon, which is vegetarian.
Terri
Kate – I made this today since it is cold and rainy and snowy here in NH and I didn’t not alter it other than to add additional roasted pepper and kale – and I say we have a winner. I love spicy so i added the suggested cayenne – so good with Naan bread. Thank you!
MWah
Insanely delicious and so easy to prepare! I used kamut (cooked separately and added towards the end per the instructions). I also used 2 cans of chickpeas instead of 1 so it had more chunky stuff. Definitely needed to add more hot sauce tableside (even after adding the cayenne) to counter the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. This recipe is a keeper.
Renee
What is the calorie count?
Audra
Absolutely delicious! I don’t measure anything (including counting sweet potatoes) and I found it surprisingly sweet over spicy. Next time I’ll add approximately 8 cups of vegetable broth (I think the top I use lets off too much steam). I love the farro!
Lisa
Love your website! I tend to prepare my unused CSA veggies in a soup, then freeze for winter. Do you think this soup could be frozen? Maybe add the chickpeas and farro when thawed and prepped for serving?
Deja
What is CSA?
Lisa
Community Supported Agriculture, where you pay one price, and pick up a share of veggies and fruits each week during the program.
Christy
This soup is delicious! I found your recipe on Friday, made it on Sunday, and am eating it right now and for lunch allll week long. It is sweet, spicy, and hearty. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
Kate
Awesome!! Thank you, Christy! I think you’d like my other soups, too. :)
Amy
This sounds really good.
Kat
I’m way behind on trying this recipe and found it a bit lacking in balance at first. I added a tiny pat of coconut oil to my second bowl and suddenly everything started singing! Perfect with just a touch of good healthy fat at the end and exactly what I wanted. I’ll be making this again for sure.
Tori Odom
I made this last week and it was super yummy. To add some protein since I am vegan I took part of the soup before adding the kale and blended it with a handful of raw organic sunflower seeds then poured it back into the soup. It made it creamy and thicker and my three teenagers all loved it! It was already delicious before I added the seeds though. Thanks for the recipe.
Kate
Thanks, Tori! I wouldn’t have thought of that. Sounds great.
Adam Nuyens
Thanks for the recipe.
It was truly delicious!
Cooked the onions with water, skipping the olive oil.
I added carrots and potatoes to the other ingredients, as well. Love the farro. My wife enjoyed this great soup too!
joan
This soup is outstanding! Thank you so much!! I made is exactly as directed – so delicious!
Lara
I made this last night and it was so tasty! It was my first time trying farro and I will definitely make it again. I didn’t realize you used sodium-free broth/bullion so I found it a tad salty, but still delicious. Next time I might use half the bullion and more water along with some curry powder, garlic powder, and sriracha. This is one of my favorite cooking blogs and I look forward to all your new recipes, thank you so much for another good one!
Kate
You’re welcome, Lara! I’m glad it worked out, and I hope next time it’s even better.
Sandy
Made this soup tonight! Delicious! Love your recipes!!
Kate
:)
chamisa mackenzie
Just made this soup for the second time, I love it! My boyfriend who is wary of vegan dishes also loves it.
Stefan
Sorry!
What is ” farro” – I think my English is quite o.k. but I haven´t come across this term before!!?? Thanx for the explanation!
Kate
Hi, Stefan. No problem! Farro is a type of grain, and is not a very common ingredient. Here’s a great story on farro from NPR if you’d like to read up a bit!
Tina Davis
Made this tonight because I had some sweet potatoes if wanted to use up. I used chard instead of kale because I had it in the house and skipped the red pepper because I didn’t have any. It was great and not too much of a faff to make.thanks for the recipe.
Aliza
Hi! I was wondering what I could substitute for the curry paste?
Kate
Oops, sorry, I was looking at a comment below yours when I first answered. The curry paste adds a ton of flavor to the soup and isn’t easily substituted. You could try adding some curry powder or other spices; it just won’t be the same.
Jennifer
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this soup! It’s one of the few recipes now in my regular repertoire that I make with no changes. (Though sometimes I do sub spinach for kale if that’s what I have on hand.) Either way, absolutely delicious, and the recipe that made your website a regular on my recipes hunts when I am looking for new dishes to try. Thanks for all the great food ideas!
Kate
You are very welcome, Jennifer! I am happy you like it so much. Thank you for your review!
Danette
Adapted the recipe to make in an instant pot, and it was delicious! I had most of the ingredients on hand from this week’s csa share. Delicious!!
Kate
Thanks, Danette for your review!
Cat
Hi, I’m late to this party, but made this soup for lunch today…great flavors! Just curious as to what kind of farro you use? I know there are different kinds, and wasn’t sure if you used pearled, semi-pearled… Perhaps my farro choice is why my soup didn’t look as brothy as yours.
Kate
Thank you, Cat! Happy you enjoyed it. Great question! I used semi-pearled and that is what you should be able to find most common in the store. Otherwise, you would likely need to soak overnight. I hope this helped!
Shannon M
Hi Kate! This recipe sounds delicious and I’m excited to make it! I can’t eat any gluten though, do you have any suggestions for a gluten-free alternative to the farro that might be good here? Thank you!
Kate
Great question, Shannon! You can substitute with brown rice to make it gluten free. Let me know what you think once you try it!
Shannon M
Kate, I loved it! Delicious, filling, and made plenty of leftovers! It came out thicker than your photo (due to the brown rice I guess?), but I liked it that way! I probably wouldn’t add more broth when I make it again, but if anyone else reading this substitutes with brown rice – I’d add extra broth or water if you’re shooting for a soupier consistency.
FoodPlottoPlate
Looks delicious. On my food planning for next week. Thanks
Charlotte
This is probably silly but I’ve never thought to put chickpeas in my soup. I love the texture they add, I gotta give this a try!
Kate
Let me know what you think when you try it, Charlotte!
Susanna
This kind of vegetable stews and soups are so conforting with this cold weather! I usually make them with all sorts of vegetables, grains, lentils or chickpeas… and the best part is that you can change the flavours all the time. I came up with the idea of cooking them with natural vegetable and broth flavor (meaning that I add no particular spice when cooking the big batch) and then add the extra add-ons and spices when reheating the stew. This way you can have different flavours throughout the week. Dinner one night can be with curry and cumming paired, the next one with lots of fresh ginger (which happens to be a favourite of mine!)… you can pick any spice you are in the mood for each day and I just find it so conforting to find a huge pot of this in the fridge after a long day :-)
Kate
Thank you, Susanna for your comment and review! What an idea to add your spices as you reheat. :)
Stephanie
This looks so yummy! Do you have any ideas how to modify to make it grainless?
Kate
Hi Stephanie! Are you looking for something different than farro? If so, you can try brown rice or quinoa. Or, if you are wanting to make it completely free of grains, you can increase the amount of chickpeas other veggies. Hope this helps!
anthony
Hmm – this one not so much.
I followed the recipe to the letter, and it was filling but not particularly tasty. Perhaps it was the broth – Pacific Brand Low Salt (but I did add salt, and cayenne pepper too) – that was past its expiration date. I do find taste differences in the veggie broths I use, and sometimes will go with just water so as not to muddy the taste of the other ingredients.
I will try the recipe again, maybe switching over to the Rapunzel brand bouillon mentioned in the comments, and update the review at that time.
And in the meantime, it’s soup saver time: vegenaise or shredded cheddar cheese or hot sauce.
Kate
I am sorry to hear that, Anthony. I would recommend using a vegetable broth that is not past its expiration date. That can have a big impact on the overall flavor. Possibly add more curry paste next time! Maybe you have a high heat tolerance :) Or even use curry powder for a different flavor next time.
anthony reczek
Ya, I’m a regular Evel Knievel of expiration dates lol. But the good news is that a little Vegenaise and habanero sauce worked wonders.
Cassie Autumn Tran
Wow, this soup looks so hearty and vibrant! The sweet potatoes and chickpeas are such an awesome combination! I too have been eating just like it’s always been fall. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin ANY day, ALL day, EVERY day!
Kate
Let me know what you think when you try it, Cassie!
Gaby Dalkin
I’ll 100 percent be going back for seconds of this veggie soup!!
Kate
It is a good one! Thank you, Gaby.
charlie
This looks absolutely delicious! I love green healthy and delicious soups, I usually tend to the 80-20 (80% healthy 20% eat what i want) rule and well your blog is a great inspiration for the 80%!! thank you for sharing Kate
Kate
You are welcome, Charlie! Thank you for the review. I appreciate it.
Umakant
Hey Kate…! i love soup & your sweet potato kale and chickpea soup looks soo yummy and many colorful. Thanks for sharing….!
Kate
You are welcome! Let me know what you think once you try it :)
Madalina
Hi,
Do you make your own vegetable broth, or if not, what brand do you find best? Also, do you think it’s a big deal if i use only water instead of broth?
Thanks!
Kate
Hi Madalina, I use store-bought and my brands tend to vary. I always buy organic, though. Whole Foods 365 is a good one!
Spud Peelz
My wife asked I make this for her. Working from home certainly has it’s drawbacks. I apparently have LOTS of time on my hands….but I digress.
I followed the recipe.
I waited.
My wife came home and asked what’s for dinner.
Soup.
She asked for seconds!
The soup was delicious, and it’s a ‘keeper’…..and so am I :)
Kate
Love it! Thank you, Spud. I am happy you and your wife enjoyed it.
Emilie
Another great recipe, Kate! I’ve made a slightly similar soup with chickpeas and kale, but this is better with the farro, sweet potato, and curry paste. I’m going back for seconds right now…
Kate
Seconds and then leftovers right?! :) Thank you, Emilie for your review.
Emilie
Yes! Been eating it for lunch; I think tomorrow it will be gone. :( By the way, I ordered your cookbook yesterday as an early Christmas present for myself! Can’t wait for it to arrive.
Dicas para Bet365
Beautiful article Kate. I love sweet potato soup, I already have mouth water
Kate
Thank you!
Kelly
Kate–this soup is really delicious. Our whole family liked it. I’m trying to cook more vegetarian dishes and this was a good one! Oh–first time using farro and I really liked it. Thanks!
Kate
You are welcome! Happy to hear it was a family pleaser. :) I appreciate your review.
Jnel
Kate, this soup is just lovely. Kale, sweet potato and farro–3 of my favorite things in a delicious, healthy and beautiful soup. So very good. And your book, Love Real Food is frequently used in my kitchen–as a matter of fact I just bought two more copies for Xmas gifts for loved ones. Thanks for your great work. Have a beautiful day!
Kate
I am happy to hear you have the cookbook as well. It makes a great gift, so I like where your head is at. :)