This is not your momma’s chicken soup. I’ve swapped out noodles for hearty whole grain farro and added a helping of kale for a shot of green and extra nutrition — plus its easy to make in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot.
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Farro and Kale
Thanks to Aneto Natural for their ongoing sponsorship and providing the broth for this delicious soup.
We’re heading into an insanely busy week at our house. Jon is tied up with a work project that will have him out of the house before our mornings begin and after the day ends. Meanwhile I’m prepping for a food stying gig later this week, helping a certain actress-turned-cookbook author with the food for some local television appearances. In between, the kids have all their usually activities/meetings/homework…basically, we’re all completely over scheduled. Yesterday I announced that family dinners are officially cancelled for the week.
Farro FTW!
The kids are thrilled at the prospect of an entire week of boxed Mac & Cheese and Trader Joe’s Pot Stickers for dinner, but to keep us at least slightly on track, I threw together a giant batch of this delicious Chicken Soup with Farro and Kale yesterday. This awesome, simple soup is the perfect big-batch meal for busy weeks. Its got all the comforting kid-friendly flavor of chicken noodle but with whole grain farro swapped in for the pasta. Unlike noodles, which can get mushy, the farro in this recipe holds up beautifully whether I’m serving it for dinner or sending to to school in a lunchbox thermos (and I plan to do both this week!).
Quick, Easy, Amazing
I think I spent maybe a grand total of 20 minutes hands-on making this Chicken Soup with Farro and Kale. Once the vegetables are chopped its literally just a matter of dumping everything into the pot. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are super convenient because once they cook, they shred into the soup with just the slightest pressure. Since boneless chicken breasts can be a little bland, its really important to use great-quality chicken broth or stock to give this soup optimum flavor. Homemade broth is great but if you’re using a boxed broth, be careful in what you choose. Many boxed broths use additives and MSG to add flavor. I used my favorite brand — best-quality, all-natural Aneto Chicken Broth. Their broth is made with large quantities of real, whole chickens and fresh vegetables, so it tastes like chicken soup straight out of the box. I know I’ve said it before but Aneto Broth really is worth seeking out. The difference is incredible.
My kids absolutely adore this Chicken Soup with Farro and Kale — its so flavorful and simple. Make a big batch and try it for yourself!
Featured Products:
Aneto Chicken Broth
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Farro and Kale
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker/Instant Pot
Description
This is not your momma’s chicken soup. I’ve swapped out noodles for hearty whole grain farro and added a helping of kale for a shot of green and extra nutrition — plus its easy to make in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ cup pearled farro
- 6 cups best quality chicken broth (such as Aneto Natural)
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1x1 inch piece of rind for good quality parmesan cheese (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 loosely packed cups kale, stemmed and chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (if using an Instant Pot or Multi-Cooker, use the “Saute” function). Add chicken and sauté in pot for until browned on both sides (does not need to be cooked through). Remove chicken from skillet and place on a plate.
- Add the second tablespoon of olive oil and sauté onions, celery and carrots until soft, about five minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute more.
- Transfer vegetables and chicken to a slow cooker (if using an Instant Pot/Slow Cooker, use same pot). Add farro, chicken broth, parmesan rind and turmeric. Lock the lid in place and cook soup on high pressure for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. For Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, lock the lid into place and lock the valve. Manually set to cook on “High Pressure” for 10 minutes. At the end of the cooking cycle, allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes before manually releasing and removing the lid.
- Set Pot to “Warm.” Remove lid and discard parmesan rind. Use a fork to shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Stir in kale and allow the soup to sit for 2 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Keywords: Chicken Soup with Farro and Kale
This post contains affiliate links, if you purchase something via one of these links, I will receive a small portion of the profits at no additional cost to you.
