Tomato Farro Soup is the perfect recipe to warm you up on a chilly day. The rich tomato soup is dotted with tender farro grains, roasted bell peppers and finely chopped fresh herbs, creating a beautiful contrast in texture and flavor.
This soup feels nourishing and satisfying, but it is light enough to keep you coming back for more. The addition of the bell peppers will warm you up from the inside as well. The grilled cheese croutons are an option. Without the croutons the soup is vegetarian or even vegan if you omit to using the rind of the Parmigiano Reggiano in the making of the soup.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Onion
- Celery
- San Marzano tomatoes – or other type of whole canned tomatoes
- Vegetable stock – or chicken stock
- Thyme
- Farro – or rice, barley, bulgur wheat
- Rind of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – the hard rind of a wedge of this cheese adds depth.
- Bell pepper – roasted
- Parsley
- Basil
- Red wine vinegar
How to Make Tomato Farro Soup
Step 1 – Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and cook onion, celery and thyme, until vegetables have slightly softened.
Step 2 – Add tomatoes, stock, farro and cheese rind. Bring liquid to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until farro is tender.
Step 3 – While the soup is simmering, roast the bell pepper over the burner of your stove. Place the pepper right on the flame. It will most likely rest on its own, until you need to turn it. Use tongs to turn. Rotate and char on each side (don’t forget top and the bottom). Place in bowl, cover and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Peel the charred skin and rinse under water.
Step 4 – Remove cheese rind, add chopped roasted bell pepper, parsley, basil and red wine vinegar and warm soup thoroughly.
Step 5 – Season with salt and pepper. If you feel that the soups is to acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
Grilled Mimolette Croutons
Instead of crusty bread accompanying your tomato soup, or even a grilled cheese, I made grilled cheese croutons from whole wheat bread and Mimolette cheese. It goes without saying that, in order to keep this tomato farro soup vegan, replace the Mimolette cheese with a vegan cheese.
What is Mimolette Cheese
Without going into too much detail, this orange cheese is rather unique. It’s an old, 17th century, French cheese, inspired by the Dutch Edam cheese. It’s made from cow’s milk and the distinct orange color sets the cheese apart from other cheeses. Mimolette (also called “Boule de Lille”) has a creamy nutty taste with hints of caramel and butterscotch. Even more distinct is its rind. During the aging process, cheese mites develop on the rind. These mites consume bits of the rind, resulting in a cantaloupe-like appearance. In 2013, the FDA banned the importation and sale of Mimolette cheese in the US due to the presence of these cheese mites. The ban was lifted in 2022. Not to worry, Mimolette is a safe and and absolute delicious cheese worth trying.
Other Tomato Soups to Try
Tomato Farro Soup with Grilled Mimolette Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stick celery
- 1/4 onion
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 14 ounce whole canned tomatoes (NOTE 1) San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock (NOTE 2)
- 1/3 cup farro (NOTE 3)
- rind of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup basil finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- salt & pepper
For the Grilled Mimolette Croutons
- 2 slices whole wheat bread
- 2 ounces Mimolette cheese (NOTE 4) grated
- butter
Instructions
Tomato Farro Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and cook onion, celery and thyme, until vegetables have slightly softened.
- Add tomatoes, stock, farro and cheese rind. Crush the whole tomatoes a little (NOTE 5). Bring liquid to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until farro is tender.
- While the soup is simmering, roast the bell pepper over the burner of your stove. Place the pepper right on the flame. It will most likely rest on its own, until you need to turn it. Use tongs to turn. Rotate and char on each side (don’t forget top and the bottom). Place in bowl, cover and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Peel the charred skin and rinse under water. Chop the bell pepper.
- Remove cheese rind, add chopped roasted bell pepper, parsley, basil and red wine vinegar and warm soup thoroughly.
- Season with salt and pepper. If you feel that the soups is to acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
Grilled Mimolette Croutons
- Grate the mimolette cheese and place it between 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
- Heat butter in a skillet and cook the sandwich until toasted on both sides and the cheese is melted (NOTE 6). This will be about 4-6 minutes.
- Remove the grilled cheese from the skillet and place it onto a cutting board. Let it sit for a minute, then cut the sandwich in small cubes and place on the tomato soup. Serve immediately while it’s still warm.
Notes
- Or any other type of whole peeled tomatoes.
- Use vegetable stock if you want to keep the soup vegetarian/vegan. If not, chicken stock is an alternative.
- Instead of farro, you can use rice (white, brown or wild), barley, bulgur wheat. Check cooking time for alternative grains on packaging.
- Instead of Mimolette cheese, you can use any other melting cheese that you like; Cheddar, Gouda, Gruyere etc.
- Crushing tomatoes is easy, but may also ruin your shirt, so be careful how you do this. With scissors, with a spatula or as I once read in Bon Appetit, place them in a Ziploc bag and crush from the outside.
- I have to believe that everybody has their own way of making grilled cheese. Heating butter in a skillet (this is my way) or spreading butter or mayo on the outside of each slice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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