Instant Pot farro soup is a healthy, comforting meal with a nourishing kick of flavor from lemon and ginger. The lemon-ginger broth is so good!
On those nights when you crave something both healthy and comforting, this Instant Pot farro soup will do your body right.
It's made from a handful of wholesome ingredients that come together quickly and easily in your Instant Pot.
If you like the combination of lemon and ginger, then you should also try my recipe for garlic, ginger and lemon broth or tea.
Main Ingredients
- Farro
- Chickpeas
- Kale
- Ginger
- Lemon
- Broth
What I love most about this soup is the broth. I could drink a bowl of only the lemon-ginger broth and be happy! Clear and bright with just the right amount of zing from ginger, I'm already thinking about ways to use this lemon-ginger broth in more soup recipes.
I add just enough ginger to this soup to make it gingery without offending my kids. But honestly, if I was the only person eating the soup I'd add more.
Psst....if you like ginger with chickpeas and coconut milk, you should try my chickpea stew with chicken and potatoes (can also be made vegetarian).
Substitutions
You can make substitutions to this soup depending on what you have in your kitchen.
- White beans instead of chickpeas
- Barley instead of farro
- Spinach instead of kale
- Chicken broth instead of vegetable broth
What is Farro?
Farro is a grain with a mild flavor and hearty, slightly chewy texture. Learn how to cook farro in you Instant Pot so you can add it to salads and make batches for meal prep.
The most common type of farro sold in stores is pearled or semi-pearled, which is what you'll use for this recipe.
Farro Nutrition
Farro is considered an ancient grain, which means it hasn't been modified or crossbred extensively.
Farro is high in protein and fiber. It is also rich in magnesium, zinc and B vitamins.
Why I Love Frozen Kale
I always have a bag of frozen chopped kale (or spinach) in my freezer. It keeps for months (unlike fresh greens) and is a very easy to way to add healthy greens to your meal.
In this recipe, you add a cup of frozen kale right before serving the soup. It instantly cooks in the hot broth and adds color, nutrients and flavor to the soup.
Besides soup, you can add frozen kale to chili recipes, stew, pasta sauce, and beans, (like like Instant Pot white beans).
For each, stir in the frozen kale at the very end of the cooking time.
Frozen kale sautes very quickly, making it an easy addition to any recipe you're sauteing in a pan. I also like to add kale to my Instant Pot Turmeric Coconut Rice.
More Soup & Chili Recipes
- Slow Cooker 15-Bean Soup
- Crockpot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup with Parmesan Chickpeas
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW AND LEAVE SOME STARS — THANKS! I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK!
Print📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Farro Soup with Ginger & Lemon
My Instant Pot farro soup is a healthy, comforting soup with a nourishing kick of flavor from lemon and ginger. The lemon-ginger broth is so good!
Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 10 minutes to reach pressure + 12 minutes at high pressure + instant release
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot or half an onion, finely chopped
- 2-inches ginger, peeled and finely chopped or thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped or thinly sliced
- 6 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
- ½ cup pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- ¾ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup frozen kale or fresh kale leaves torn into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Black pepper or red pepper flakes (to taste)
Instructions
- Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Warm the olive oil and then add the shallot, ginger and celery. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the broth, farro, chickpeas, coriander and salt.
- Turn off the saute function. Secure the lid, making sure the steam release valve is in the "sealed" position.
- Program the Instant Pot to cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. The IP will take about 10 minute to reach pressure before the cooking time starts.
- When the cooking time is done, you can release the pressure at any time. Releasing the pressure instantly* will make the farro slightly firmer. Letting the IP slowly release pressure naturally will make the farro slightly softer. *If you release the pressure instantly, lay a dish towel over the steam release valve before releasing the pressure, to prevent liquid from splattering out.
- Remove the lid. Stir in kale and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
This recipe can also be made with barley. Simply increase the cooking time to 15 minutes.
You can add more, or less, ginger to the soup depending on how much you like ginger. If you want to add more ginger to individual bowls, use a microplane zester to grate fresh ginger into your own bowl of soup.
Farro absorbs liquid after it is cooked, so leftover soup eaten the next day will be thicker and less brothy.
All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6-quart instant pot.
Lilyw says
Delicious, nourishing, easy—can’t beat that. I did this on the stovetop, no problem. Used a small carton of mirepoix from the store instead of chopping shallots and celery, so it was extra easy and fast. Tossed in lemon zest with the kale for extra brightness. We had it with lemony avocado toast on whole grain bread for a lovely meatless dinner. My husband ate four bowls (he’s one of those mega-metabolism guys) and said he’d be happy if that was his last meal. Proof that simple is best. Thanks for this keeper.
Ema Qyteza says
I just made this soup and the flavor was amazing. In addition to the ingredients you gave, I added half a bell pepper and parsley. After it stopped cooking, instead of lemon, I added cilantro and lime and it was amazing. Thank you.
Jenny says
Cilantro and lime sounds amazing, I'll have to try that!