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.
Vegan 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: 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.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Liz
Would the recipe work sans farro? Would it be possible to sub extra sweet potato or chick peas to make up the loss?
Kate
Yes, you could do that. Or you could add brown rice or quinoa, depending on what you are after. Hope this helps!
Deb
This should be called Warm Hug Soup ☺️. Thanks for all of the wonderful recipes!
★★★★★
Siobhan
This was really good and I loved the spiciness with the optional cayenne. I used half sweet potato and half butternut, and added some mined garlic and fresh ginger (figured it couldn’t hurt!). Mine was a lot thicker than yours, and even more so the next day, maybe because of differences in farro? I used Whole Foods 365 organic Italian farro. But I just added more broth/water to make it it soupy. Definitely will make again!
★★★★
Kate
I am happy you liked it so much! The next day explains it, for sure. Sometimes grains will continue to soak up the moisture as it cools. Thank you for your comment and star review, Siobhan!
Marcy
Hi! I am making this and I’m wondering what the serving sizes for this would be?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Marcy! Roughly 1.5-2 cups is a serving size. Thank you for your review!
April
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! I added butternut squash to it, which I thought tasted great.
The cayenne is a nice addition to the soup..gives it a kick!
★★★★★
Wendy Smoak
Just made this for lunch and it is great! I was suspicious of the chickpeas as I don’t really care for them other than in hummus — I did take the time to peel off the skins. It does need more water or it ends up too dry as some evaporates, probably depending on whether you keep a lid on the pot.
I ran it through the My Fitness Pal recipe importer and it came out to about 350 calories per serving (1/6 recipe).
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds wonderful! Thank you, April for your review.
Mary Blanchard
Cookie ad Kate,My daughter-in-law served us the sweet potato, kale, and chickpea soup this weekend and it was terrific. I would love to purchase a cookbook of vegan recipes, especially of soups, for her but this one seems to have vegetarian recipes also? Maybe I should just look at Barnes & Nobles? Advice appreciated!
Kate
Hi Mary – I am happy you liked it so much! On the blog and in my cookbook, Love Real Food, the recipes are vegetarian. I do have some vegan recipes but also provide alternatives to make it vegan for most of my recipes. I hope this helps! Barnes and Noble or even Amazon would be a great place to get my Love Real Food cookbook or find other cookbooks you are after. I hope this helps!
Mary Blanchard
Thank you so very much – this does help and I appreciate your advice. Mary
Sarah
What would happen with green curry paste?
Kelly
I made this soup and it is absolutely delightful! I made a big batch and am bringing the leftovers to work for lunch all week. It reheats perfectly and goes well with a crusty piece of bread. I love that it’s so healthy, but it still tastes like comfort food. I bought two copies of your cookbook on Amazon too! One for me, one for my mom for Christmas. Can’t wait for them to arrive! :-)
★★★★★
Kate
Love to hear that, Kelly! Thank you for your review and for your support :) Enjoy the cookbook! It won’t disappoint.
Caitlin
I make this almost once a week during the fall and winter–one of my favorite soups, it’s easy to make and really satisfying. This and your tortilla soup recipe help get me through Michigan winters!
★★★★★
Madalina
I made this last night. It is delicious, but the leftovers became pretty much like a stew. Do you think I overcooked it? I should probably judge according to the potatoes which became mush :( I don’t mind it that much.
Thank you for the recipe. It is delicious and will make again for sure.
★★★★
Kate
That can happy with soup that has potatoes and grains. If you would like more liquid, you can always add some more vegetable broth when reheating! I hope this helps. Thanks for your review.
Margaret Lutzke
I made this recipe yesterday…Yummo! I used fresh kale from our garden…. even though we had a light dusting of snow, the kale is thriving. I also had sweet potatoes from our fall harvest.
I used brown rice because I already had some pre cooked in the refrig. I love this soup and will make it again.
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delightful! You still have kale in the garden, that’s great. :) Thanks so much for your comment and review, Margaret!
Shelby
Stars are for my version. I made a variation on this, combining it with the list of ingredients given by a local high-end supermarket for their Moroccan Soup. Most important, I didn’t use any farro or equivalent, but did use a 28-oz can of tomatoes. Also I used 1/2 Tb of curry powder and 1 Tb of Korean red pepper paste instead of the curry paste, no cayenne, and I added the sweet potato and red pepper after the stock was hot (because I didn’t realize they should go in sooner). This came out very well & my wheat-allergic & vegetarian wife wants to serve it to company.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Shelby for sharing!
Laura
This is so delicious!! I saw it pop-up on my Feedly feed and knew I had to try it. I love it so much i had to share it so I’m making it for my children’s elementary school teacher appreciation luncheon as a vegetarian option! Thank you for sharing your recipes! I’ve liked every single on I’ve tried. And I’m not even a vegetarian!
Kate
Thank you, Laura! What a nice thing to do for your children’s teachers. :)
Megan
I am doing the same thing. Last slot open for sign-ups was the vegetarian soup! Happy to jump in on that one! Any tips on transportation and serving? I need to check my crock pot size as I’m supposed to bring 5-6 quarts.
Joy
Kate! Thank you so much for the love and care you have poured into your blog and your book. I found your blog when I started cooking solely veggie at home in college and have been enjoying your recipes ever since. I recently moved to France which has been a food adventure. It’s always a scavenger hunt to find the ingredients I’m searching for and I am becoming a master substituter! I did manage to find all the ingredients for this wonderfully delicious soup (except the farro, but hulled barely was an excellent sub) and I’m in love with it! Your recipes have won my French roommates praises ;) Bon appétit!
★★★★★
Kate
You are so kind, Joy! Thank you. And France, that’s so fun! I really appreciate your comment and review.
Anne Saplin
This was really good! I added a tablespoon of minced garlic, and used the broth from the chickpeas instead of the veggie broth. Only complaint is that the stew was dry, I’ll add more chickpea broth next time. Thanks for a great recipe
★★★★
Lisa
My daughter made this soup yesterday and she told me to make it because
“ it’s the bomb “
She was correct, I Loved it!!!
Thank you for giving me a much needed new soup for my cookbook
★★★★★
Kate
I love that description! I appreciate the review, Lisa.
Brit
This was fantastic! I used cooked barley instead of farro. I will be making this regularly. Thanks!
Kate
Great! Love that, Brit.
Allison
I made this soup last week and it was awesome! My husband loved it and was mad when I took the last serving for lunch the next day haha! this soup was definitely better next day when the flavors mingled a bit. I’m adding this to my idea for meal prep weekends!
★★★★★
Kate
Yes! I think it’s usually better the second day too. Thanks for your comment and review, Allison!
Joy
I made this “updated version” on New Year’s Day, 2018, and absolutely loved it. Its healthy deliciousness even managed to warm me up in bitterly cold Ottawa, where the temperature was -37 C (or -34.6 F) with the wind chill. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s freezing! I’m happy the soup was able to do just the trick to warm you up. I appreciate the review, Joy!
Erin
Just made this for a friend who is under the weather. If I wasn’t in the midst of Whole30, I would have dove in and had a bowl. The Thai red curry paste does something magical to the sweet potato. A simple, hardy recipe that can be whipped up in short amount of time. I’m definitely adding this into our recipe rotation for February. I tagged ya on an IG post. :)
★★★★★
Carolyn
Hi, this looks really nice. Can I use brown rice. It’s the only grain I have on hand. Do you think it will absorb all the liquid? Thanks.
Kate
That is a great substitute for farro! Follow the instruction for the farro and you should be just fine with the brown rice. This is a gluten free substitute I would recommend.
Jesi
This stuff is absolutely delicious! Have made it twice so far this coooollllld winter!
★★★★★
Kate
Great soup for the winter! Hearty and full of goodness. Thank you, Jesi for sharing and for your review!
Shish
I made this soup today & its really good! I added turmeric instead of curry powder (I didn’t have any) & I left the farro out. I’ll definitely make this soup again in the future
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Laura
I made this last night and it was SUPER yummy! All the men in my life loved it as well. Thanks Kate.. you’re recipes are gems!
★★★★★
Kate
Nice to win the guys over with a meat-less dish. :) Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Lauren
What about adding some coconut milk/creme?? I am making a pot now and can’t wait to taste it!! So easy and nourishing.
★★★★★
Kate
Try it! I like it as is, but I’m interested to know if you did. Thanks, Lauren.
Lou
This was delicious and relatively easy to make. I ate it all week and even stored some in the freezer. I’m trying out a vegetarian diet and this recipe will help keep me on track.
Thanks!!
Amanda
Amazing! Can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Amanda! Thanks for the review.
Margo
Glad I didn’t skip the cayenne pepper, it added a lovely flavor to this easy, delicious soup. So nice on a snowy day!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you didn’t skip it either, Margo! Thank you for your review.
Rachel
When I was searching my bookmarked recipes for something to use my sweet potatoes, this popped up and since I had all the ingredients, I knew I had to make it. I swapped the water for a can of coconut milk and used green chili paste for an extra pop of heat. It’s hearty for all the right reasons. Great mix of textures here. Highly recommend. Another C&K winner.
Kate
Thank you, Rachel! If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it.
Sara
Made this tonight. Instead of 2 cups of water, I used only 1, and the liquid from the can of chickpeas (creamier texture, plus, loaded with nutrients). I added about half a tablespoon of salt to the entire pot, some black pepper, and a teaspoon of chili powder because I love a good kick in the mouth. I also added the entire 8.8 oz package of farro. I never knew this stuff existed until this recipe. Anyway, it’s great! I would recommend it!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Sara! I’m glad you enjoyed it and that you were able to adjust to your liking. I appreciate the review.
Helga
Loved the flavors of this soup. I am not vegan or vegetarian so added some chicken breast. Had butternut squash on hand, so used that instead of sweet potatoes. Took your advice about the farro. The soup is delicious.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you were able to make it your own, Helga! Thank you for your review.
april
hi kate love your soup! i have been making it for several years with a few variations…i alternate kale & swiss chard, also change up the curry paste from red to yellow or green; all are great! i also decided to substitute buckwheat groats for the farro which cook a bit faster so i add them closer to the end of cooking time. thanks again for a great healthy recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Oh, I like that! Thank you, April for sharing.
Mara
So yummy
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Mara!
Rachel
I LOVE this soup. It was fairly inexpensive, super filling, and delicious. I rarely follow recipes to a T, but I did with this one, and it turned out great. I think it took me about an hour to make with all of the chopping. Thank you for a new rotation item!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Rachel! Thanks for the review.
dannie
this is a whole meal very well balanced.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you!
Mae
Though I was looking forward to trying this highly rated soup, I ended up disappointed. I followed the instructions exactly, and have double checked them since, but, unfortunately, the soup is bland, the textures don’t mesh, and the precooked pearled barley absorbed nearly all of the liquid.
★
Kate
I’m sorry you felt that way, Mae! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Bola
I landed here when I was looking to make a meal with what I had on hand. My version has 1.5 cups yellow split peas instead of both the farro and chick peas; 1tbsp curry instead of Thai red curry paste; yam instead of sweet potato. It was marvelous! I kept going back to the pot for another ladle. I found that it really needed the cayenne at the end to balance the sweet flavor.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Bola! I appreciate the review.
Edith
This soup was the perfect one to ease me into a dreary, damp fall. I had all the ingredients on hand and it tasted exactly what I’d hoped it would. I subbed split red lentils for the grains and it ended up with a thicker, creamy texture.
★★★★★
Kate
Great soup for a dreary day! Thanks for your review, Edith!
Kathy
I love this soup! The flavor was fabulous. This was the first soup I ever made. I used long grain brown rice cooked prior to adding to soup. Looking forward to making another one of your soup recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kathy! I’m happy to hear you love this one.
Katherine Pearson
This was fanatastic! It will be a favorite from now on.
I searched and found this recipe, because we received a fall vegetable box from a CSA farm and I was looking for ways to use the vegetables.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for your review, Katherine!
Abe Hiroshi
Way cool! Some very vaalid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of the site is very good.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Abe!
Kay V
I LOVED this soup! I added a little less than a tbs of fresh grated ginger and then used barley that I cooked separately. I’ve had it for leftovers for lunch all week and it’s sooo yummy, warm, and filling!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so happy you loved it, Kay! Thanks for taking the time to review.
Sage
LOVE this recipe! Thank you Kate! The combination of the veggies and kale with Thai seasoning is divine. Perfect for chilly nights. We usually eat with a nice dense bread. The recipe makes a big batch, and I’ve also frozen this soup with success. I couldn’t find farro at my grocery store, so had to make it without. It was so delicious without it that I’ve made it several times more without farro or any other grain. The sweet potato and chickpeas make it very hearty, so I don’t think it really needs anything else. My husband even likes it and he hates sweet potatoes or chickpeas, lol. The first time I used Thai Kitchen curry paste and found that I had to add more to get it really flavourful and with a little kick. I’ve since bought a paste from an Asian grocery which is much more spicy so I use only 2 Tablespoons. Thanks again Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re so welcome, Sage! I’m glad your husband liked it too. :)
Hana
I am obsessed with this soup! I am newly married, and have never thought of myself as a cook. Since being married I’m trying to turn into #WifeGoals and make some real meals. THANK YOU for this easy recipe that even I can make. I’ve been plant-based for awhile and I’m slowly trying to convince my husband to join this way of living… I think this soup is convincing him ;)
★★★★★
Kate
This is a great soup to at least try to convince him, right?! :) I appreciate the review, Hana and congratulations!
Anna
I’ve been craving soup with all the cold weather and decided to try this since I had some sweet potatoes. So delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
This is great when it gets cold. Thanks for letting me know you loved this one, Anna.
Leah
Hi! I was only able to find a red Thai curry sauce (from Trader Joe’s) – it has coconut milk in it. Was going to double the amount of paste the recipe calls for. Does that sound right? Thanks in advance! Can’t wait to try this tonight.
Kate
I’m not sure without trying it, Leah! I would recommend starting with the recommended amount and then adjusting to taste.
Hilary S. Laing
This soup ended up with a little less flavor that I was hoping for. I think the sweet potatoes might have been a bland batch. I substituted barley for a bit of the farro because I didn’t have enough farro. I will try it today- maybe the flavors will have strengthened some overnight…
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that! It could be your curry. Maybe add a little more next time or increase your red pepper flakes too. Let me know next time!
Meg
Made this soup with what I had on hand…roasted red peppers, hot red curry paste, baby spinach, and sorghum for the grain. This also made it free of gluten. Yum and YUM!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Meg! I’m glad you were able to make it with what you had on hand.
Beth
I cannot stop eating this, it is so delicious!! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Beth!
Megan
I need to make this for a teacher’s luncheon at my kids elementary school and need 5-6 quarts. Do you think triple the recipe?
Kate
Sure! Just make sure keep in mind adjusting the cook time depending how big your batches are.
Laura
Made a version of this tonight, and it was “meh.” I had run out of red curry paste so I subbed curry powder, and my darn CSA subbed regular potatoes on me for sweet, so I used those. And yeah, it wasn’t great at all. Therefore, to be fair I’m not gonna rate it since I didn’t follow the original recipe! But my advice is to not make the substitutions I did lol.
Kate
Thanks for sharing! If you try it again, let me know what you think. :)
David
Hi Kate,
Love your site! It is now in my favorites! I loved making and eating this recipe. I used quinoa instead of farro and it worked fantastic! Looks like a rainbow stew, so colorful and even better tasting! My daughter has inspired me to eat less meat and go more vegetarian. I feel better for it and can’t wait to try another one of your recipes.
Thanks,
David/Des Moines, Iowa
★★★★★
Bob Woodcock
Amazing flavour. We tweaked it a little by adding some carrot, celery and quinoa.
A great soup on a cold Canadian winter’s day.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for the review, Bob!
Keren
Absolutely delicious. I made it with freekeh and a few carrots along with the sweet potato, to make a slightly bigger yield. I DID need a bit of salt in the end but instead of adding some, I squeeze some lemon juice into every portion after reheating and it tasted excellent with this small addition. It’s the first time I’ve used the curry paste, which was a bit hard so some portions are spicier than others, I suppose I’ll need to stir everything better next time. Thanks for this recipe, Kate.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate the review, Keren.
Kim Cruz
Dear Cookie and Kate,
Last night I made this dish before I headed out to the gym.
Not only was this dish delicious, it was quick and easy.
My family enjoyed the dish with Chicken, while I enjoyed 2 serving as is #Vegan. Bravo to you. This dish allows me to have dinner on the table after work, feed myself and family Vegan and Not.
This dish is fabulous for us busy Ladies. I’m training for 2 marathons a week apart. Your recipe fits into my lifestyle perfectly.
Your Newest Fan.
Kim from NYC
★★★★★
Kate
Go you, Kim! Good luck. I’m happy the recipes are helpful in your training process.
Kim
Hi Kate,
Thank You so much.
I want to thank you for this recipe. My husband & daughter are not Vegetarians, I served their dish with Chicken, Mine was vegetarian.
On day two, both my hubby and daughter enjoyed Your dish Vegetarian and said they enjoyed it even more. Yayyy!!!
As for my Training, this is the perfect recovery dish, warm and gentle on my stomach.
Thank You! Thank You!
I look forward to making your recipes for myself and my family.
Happy eating.
Your Newest Fan
Kim
★★★★★
Pat
Another big Cookie & Kate soup hit! I minced a clove of garlic and added it with the onion, and subbed barley instead of farro. The flavor and texture of barley really compliments the sweet potato and kale, and the thai red curry paste puts the flavor over the moon! I found I did not have to add any extra seasonings or salt at the end. If you don’t like chickpeas, white beans like navy or great northern would be a good replacement. Thank you, Kate, for such fabulous recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing! It sounds delicious, Pat!
Mandy
This is my 4th different soup recipe of yours that I’ve made and they are all 5 stars. They are all so easy to just throw in a random extra vegetable that might be lying around in my fridge and just don’t want to go to waste. With this one I added some shredded carrots and a zucchini just because they were there. The spiced Lentil, butternut squash chili, Quinoa vegetable, Vegetarian tortilla soups are all equally delicious. I am going to make all 17 of your soups they’re so good! Black bean next.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so happy you are loving my soups, Mandy! Thanks for sharing.
Alicia
Made this yesterday, and enjoyed today for lunch – it’s so simple, hearty and delicious! The red curry paste makes this amazing. I used barley instead of farro (I’m currently breastfeeding and subbing in lactogenic foods), added 2 cups extra broth, and added a good bit of red pepper flakes and finishing salt at the end. When I make again, I’ll probably add another can of chickpeas for extra protein. Bonus that I was able to put this together, from pulling ingredients out of the fridge to simmering on the stove, in 45 min while baby was sleeping :)
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Alicia!
Jennifer
I would love to make this, but we cannot get kale where we live. Do you have any idea of a good replacement for the kale? In some of the recipes that call for kale I have used broccoli, but I am not sure that would go with this recipe. TIA!
Kate
Hi Jennifer, spinach would work well here too.
Julia
Delicious! A very unique soup. I used quinoa, regular potatoes, and a different kind of green and it came out great!
★★★★★
Lauren
I accidentally made this tonight with orzo instead of farro! So now I have a very mushy soup since the orzo cooked about four times too long :( Is there anything I can add now for more texture? It won’t go to waste either way but I’m hoping to make it more palatable.
Kate
Oh no! You can maybe add more vegetables.
Julie
I made this soup and instead of farro (because I follow a gluten free diet) I added quinoa….big mistake. I am not accustomed to cooking with quinoa and added 1 cup dry and rinsed. It took over the soup so I had to add more broth and more seasonings. Next time and yes there will be a next time I will not add anything. The soup has turned out okay and I look forward to the next time.
Kate
I would suggest brown rice next time! Or like you said, skip it. :)
Eva-Maria Waibel
The thai curry in the soup is brilliant! Replaced the farro with red lentils (more vegan protein and gives the broth a creamy texture) and added some carrots as well. Delicious! Perfect way to start the soup season.
★★★★★
Danielle
Made this last night. We liked it, though we added a LOT more water and a LOT more spices. For our tastes, we literally doubled the amount of red curry paste, added lots of salt, garlic, pepper, chili powder, chili flakes, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and we still enjoyed it as a relatively basic tasting (but delicious!) soup. Would recommend those additions :) No matter what your tastes are, I would recommend to at least double the water, like many commenters have also mentioned
★★★★
Katherine G. Harrison
Kate can the chicpea sweet potato, kale soup be made in a slowcooker?, Kathy
Kate
Hi! I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not. You would still want to saute the vegetables for maximum flavor.
Katherine G. Harrison
My slow cooker has a stove top setting, so I can saute right in the pot then either stay there or turn it to slow cook. Thank you so much for your quick response. I am making it in the morning ❤️. Love your recipes, started eating vegetarian and feeling much better and stronger with a lot less joint pain.God bless you❤️
Katherine Harrison
Kate my slow cooker accually had a stove top setting. It came out great ,I did use frozen steam in the bag brown rice as well as steam in bag chopped kale. Added them both in near the end and also cut back on the cooking times by half suggested on the bags.A little short
cut ,but worked so well. Absolutely delicious.Thanks so much
Kate
Great to hear!
Amanda
Just made this in my instant pot and it is so yummy and easy! Perfect for a fall weekend lunch. And it only required 8 min cook time. Prep time took about 15 min with all the chopping. I added 2 cups cooked quinoa at the end with the kale. I also added a little cayenne pepper to my bowl and kept the batch non spicy for the rest of the family. Will be making this again!
★★★★★
Robyn Short
Another amazing recipe by Kate. Every recipe I’ve tried has been a huge hit, and this one was no different. After reading comments about the soup getting thick, I opted to use 6 cups of stock and I made a GF grain medley separate and spooned it into the bowls. The soup turned out perfect!
My grocery delivery came with a Japanese sweet potato instead of a traditional sweet potato and that actually Was really yummy and had a nice firm texture.
This one will go into the rotation this fall and winter!
★★★★★
Kate
Love your idea of how to serve it, Robyn! Thanks for sharing.
Whitnie Andrews
Love this recipe! I used wheat berries instead of farro because I couldn’t find it in the store. The wheat berries were a great alternative!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing Whitnie!
tanner
this was absolutely delicious! we loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Tanner!
Kerri
This was SO good. A great reset between holiday indulgence! I followed the recipe almost exactly, but ran out of vegetable Better than Boullion so used the vegan chicken flavoured one. Also had to add about a cup of water at the end to thin it it.
★★★★★
CAROLE D LARIVEE
This was absolutely delicious and very easy to make! It is a perfect winter soup that fills you up and keeps you satisfied. Love it!
★★★★★
Desiree Partlow
Made this soup last night and it did not disappoint! Felt hearty and healthy and the flavoring was perfect! I will definitely be adding this to my go-to recipe pile! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe:)
★★★★★
Kate
You are welcome, Desiree!
Julia
So delicious and healthy! This was my first time cooking with chili paste, so will need to look up some more recipes to use the rest of it. Very flavorful. I used barley instead of faro. It could definitely have used more broth/water as it got soaked up very quickly by the other ingredients (especially by the next day). Will add more next time.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Julia!
Hayley
If omitting the grains/cooking separate should I decrease the liquid amount in the soup?
Kate
Yes, you would want to omit it.
Denise Hershey
Do yourself a huge favor and make this soup immediately! I was searching for a new vegan soup to make this weekend after winter finally decided to show up again in western New York and this soup delivered. The farro is so, so delightfully chewy and a perfect foil to the chickpeas, kale and sweet potato. I always throw some freshly pressed garlic in my soups after my onion cooks, and then added the pepper and sweet potato. The chili paste adds sweetness, spice and a little heat, as well as a lovely color. I just cannot get enough of the flavors of this soup, and my family loved it, too! Double win! So happy to have found another winter soup staple to throw in my rotation that is nourishing, delicious, filling and healthy. Serve with your favorite sprouted or whole grain bread warmed in the oven for a few minutes. Yum!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for the excitement of this soup, Denise! I appreciate your review.
Lindsey
I read in a few reviews that this comes out like a stew, so I put 1/2 the farro. I’m cooking on our sailboat lately, and didn’t have a big soup pot, so used two smaller pots. One pot’s heat was a bit higher, and that pot’s sweet potatoes turned a bit mushy – almost like a potato puree. Still tastes amazing but I will definitely cook potatoes less next time. Also used green curry paste bc that’s what I had…and this soup is WONDERFUL. Thanks Kate!
I was also wondering if you could recommend a few recipes that I could make when we’re about 2 weeks out at sea. There’s not much room for bulky veggies in the boat fridge, so recipes with ingredients like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and cabbage that Can be left in a basket (or anything else you could think of) would really brighten up our voyage.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Lindsey! Thank you for your review. Try searching by ingredient in the search bar, that should help. Here are some with sweet potatoes: https://cookieandkate.com/tag/sweet-potatoes/. I hope this helps!
Elizabeth
Yes, I have made this soup many times. It’s easy to make, tastes delicious and wholesome. Very healthy with no worries about any unhealthy ingredients. Perfect for diabetics too.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth!
Debbie
Once again your recipes made me look like a chef! I can barely cook but made this and have people raving over it. Even my picky 11 year old scarfed this down. A TOTAL WINNER here. If you like cilantro, putting it on the top is heavenly.
★★★★★
Hansi
My husband and I love this soup and keep it in our winter rotation. Can you imagine my consternation when I opened the jar of curry paste and found it almost empty and couldn’t find the new one in the pantry? My husband suggested I try substituting harissa. I found I needed to add an extra half tablespoon, but it was delicious! So if you are ever looking for a way to change this soup up…
Maryann
Made soup without farrow, did not have chile paste so chili & curry powder to a splash of tomato ketsup worked as a good substitute. Added extra water & splash of orange juice. Sprinkled quinoa and crumbled feta on top. So pleased with your recipe and my twisted additions.
Mette C. Parker
This was delicious :) I used barley in stead of farro. A lot of the liquid disappeared so I had to add some more (broth with a little more thai red curry).
★★★★★
Cathy Hutchinson
This soup has become a fall and winter favorite at our house. We refer to it as “wellness soup”. Thank you so much for introducing us to this recipe.
★★★★★
Anna
So delicious and hearty! Even my husband, who insists on having meat be the primary thing at each meal, ate it up. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Meredith
I love all of your recipes, but this one is out of this world delicious! So flavorful and hearty!
★★★★★
Kyrstyn
With the current lockdown situations all over the country, I was looking for some tasty, healthy recipes to liven up our likely eating habits over the next long while – preferably ones using up some pantry staples. Every recipe I’ve tried here has turned out beautifully, so when I came across this one, I knew I had to make it. It did not disappoint! I made it as written, using the curry powder instead of paste because it was on hand. The only change I made was adding more cayenne at the end. The soup turned out beautifully – the balance of textures and flavors was great, and it tasted even better today as leftovers. As an added bonus, it used up a bag of farro that we’ve had sitting around for six months because we didn’t know what to do with it! Thanks for another great recipe.
★★★★★
Lauren
This recipe was super bland unfortunately. I ended up adding quite a few extra spices and it still wasn’t great. Really disappointed :(
★★
Barbara Cerny
hi
i didnt put cayenne but should have I guess. It tastes ok but not really that flavorful and i ate it day after. Wonder why?
★★★
Kate
Hi Barbara, I’m sorry to hear this one wasn’t a big hit. Sometimes another pinch of salt makes all the difference. It’s not too late to add a bit of cayenne!
Elizabeth A Mendez
This soup is amazing! I love that it is super easy and very flavorful. Make it!
★★★★★
Mary Bourke
I made this soup yesterday as we starting to feel Autumn creep in. I added various colored carrots from our garden along with garden fresh tomatoes and some turmeric. I had to substitute buckwheat for the farro as I was out of farro. It turned out fabulous and I am so happy to have lots of leftovers! Thanks for the fresh and healthy recipe.
★★★★★
Gabi H
Oh my goodness this recipe is soooo good! I made it without onion (personal preference) and with Swiss chard instead of kale and it was delicious! I was pleasantly surprised because I had never tried Farro before and was excited to find another fantastic vegan meal to include into my regular dinner rotation.
★★★★★
Charmin Michelle
FABULOUS!
I was wondering what to do with my hull-less barley, so I precooked some and then followed the recipe. Since I cook for two, we’ve eaten some and I froze some. Thank You!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Charmine!
Misha
I made this tonight for dinner and it was scrumptious. The biggest change I made was using soaked black rice instead of the farro, but it still had that lovely nutty texture so I feel it was a good substitution. I did add about 2 extra cups of water towards the end of cooking (and it still came out more like a stew) as well as a touch more red curry paste and salt. I used chili flakes instead of the cayenne because, tragically, I had run out! And I also squeezed over some lemon once it was off the stove.
Sweet potato and kale are two of my favourite vegetables and I enjoy spice so I knew this was going to be a winner for me. Thank you! Not sure if my mashed-potato-and-vegan-sausages-with-gravy loving boyfriend will be into this, but one can hope. I’m looking forward to leftovers! I wonder how well it will pair with my leftover celeriac, parsnip and butter bean mash?
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your detailed comment! Wild rice would be a great alternative. I think they may pair well, it all depends on the seasonings. I appreciate your review, Misha.
Terezann
Made it exactly as listed, but finished it off with a squeeze of lime. Looked beautiful and tasted wonderful! Thanks for such a lovely, autumn soup.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Terezann.
Rebecca Seaman
I have tried so many recipes on your site. I have loved 99% of them and your my go to for my cravings.
I tried this recipe and it was 100% amazing!!! It was sooo good
I plan on making it again this weekend.
★★★★★
sharon
I made this with Tuscan Kale and quite liked it.
Deb
This should be called Warm Hug Soup ☺️. Thanks for all of the wonderful recipes!
★★★★★
Chuck Mitchell
Tasty! Used Buckwheat groats to make it gluten free. The groats took around 18 min. to get done.
★★★★★
Hilary
Hello! I love your site and recipes, but had a question. Wondering what I’m missing here, I made the soup last night but had to leave it on the stove for an additional hour, at least, to fully cook the sweet potatoes. What did I do wrong, LOL? :)
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Hilary! Did you cut your sweet potatoes small? Was it at a boil, then reduced to a simmer?
Hilary
I did cut them small, however, I might have messed up the boil to simmer step. Thank you for the response! It was delicious the next day in any case and will be making again. Thank you!
Kyndra
Omg I love this soup! I come back to it time and time again. I start the wheat berries when I start the onions and the timing is perfect. Plus, I actually like that it gets a bit stewy! I love how simple it is to make and such an easy cleanup. Now I even add red thai curry paste to canned soup to give it an extra umph. Goat cheese on toast is a great option and sometimes I just add goat cheese right on top when serving. 10/10 highly recommend A+
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for the A+! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kyndra.
Juliann
This soup is DELICIOUS!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Juliann! Thank you for your review.
dervla
yum, bookmarking for the rainy week ahead. your soup recipes are the best, Kathryne!
Sharlene Blau
can the thai curry past be left out? Is there another substitution besides the curry?
Thanks
Kate
Hi, The curry paste really makes this soup come together.