Turkey, Farro and Chickpea Soup
Published Nov. 20, 2023
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1large onion, chopped
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 1½teaspoons baharat (or use another fragrant spice mix, such as garam masala or curry powder)
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1cup pearled or semi-pearled farro
- 2carrots, diced
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), more to taste
- 6cups turkey or chicken broth
- 2 to 4cups shredded cooked turkey (or use chicken)
- 1(14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 1cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Grated Parmesan (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
455 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 937 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and sauté until golden at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, baharat and cumin, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Step 2
Add the farro, carrots and salt to the mixture and stir until coated. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the farro is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in turkey, chickpeas and lemon juice, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for another 5 minutes or so, or until the turkey is warmed through. If the mixture seems thick, add a little water to thin it out. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed. Stir in cilantro right before serving and top with grated Parmesan, if you like.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Carol Reid
For newbies, this presupposes you’ve already simmered your carcass for broth. But if you’re starting with the turkey carcass, complete step 1, add the carcass and any other good dripping stuff, water to cover, and simmer until the meat is coming off the bone and the broth taste good (you’ll need to add salt). Remove bones, tedious but satisfying, and move to step 2. Based on the size of your carcass, feel free to add more onion etc in step 1. Extras of the finished soup will freeze well.
Cyril
Barley, rice, diced potatoes or small pasta for the farro. Fennel, celery for the chickpeas. Also, check with those who are going to eat this soup. Do they like Indian spices? (baharat, garam masala or curry powder). Or would the crowd prefer thyme, rosemary, bay leaf? Know your audience, or risk rebellion. Turkey soup done well in a traditional fashion (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, celery, carrots, potatoes) is usually made once a year. It is delicious without the trip to India.
ellefp
There are many recipes for traditional turkey soup that many of us remember not-so-fondly from childhood. If you want that, go find one of the hundreds of recipes out there online rather than comparing about this one actually adding flavor.
Denis
This is a great platform for whatever you have in the pantry. I can make this again and again but never exactly the same way twice.
T
It says you can use other grains such as brown rice or barley. Chickpeas go with this seasoning profile, but white beans are delicious and could work too.
SoCal
An actual tasty turkey soup! Wonderfully spiced, the perfect amount of lemon. Personally, I might add diced celery (at the same time as the carrots) and perhaps some spinach before serving, next time, and there will be a next time. Oh, I did add garlic powder & pepper at the cumin stage this time. Don’t be afraid to try this, it’s not overly spiced, it’s flavorful, not spicy hot, at all.
Roslyn
Grilled cheese sandwich with a pickle?
Kfont
Absolutely wonderful just the way it is! The farro and chickpeas add such a nice change from the usual leftover turkey soup.
L. Tiesse
Excellent! Used shredded pork instead of chicken. We will definitely make this again.
jil
Delicious, even more so the next day. I recommend making a day ahead so that the flavors can develop.
Brad Turnbull
I prepared this exactly as written and got rave reviews! Hopefully someone will appreciate hearing this.
Marla
Really yummy. Perfect on a very cold and snowy day, our first in years. As others recommended, I added garlic with the cumin and baby spinach at the end. I never add salt. Used garam masala because that's what I had on hand and baked skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlet while I made the rest. Relatively fast, very easy and healthy.
Kate Read Ezell
Cooked for TND (Buz and Susie) 1/16/24. Terrific recipe. Unusual flavors. Super easy. I used chicken breasts that were in the frig. Only change. Worked well.
Joan
Super meh. I usually trust any Melissa Clark recipe but this one didn’t land for me!
Debby L
Added a bag of baby spinach (5oz) at the end to add a little green. Also, I added one extra cup of broth …. Made it soupier. Used garam masala. Delicious.
Kate Read Ezell
Made this in mid-January with chicken breasts I’d cooked last night, seasoned with lemon and Parmesan. Worked beautifully.
irwin
This is a winner. I did not use cilantro and replaced the lemon juice with lime. Doubled the tomato paste and added the liquid from the can of chick peas. Used a teaspoon each of curry powder and garam masala. Added a teaspoon of chile crisp when serving. Delicious and even better the second night!
Carla
Excellent recipe! I had frozen turkey broth made from our Thanksgiving turkey and then used rotisserie chicken. Family loved it…used curry and cumin…very good!
David Bertan
At the risk of getting flamed by some posters, I made this today with some mods: I had leftover chicken and spice mixture from Lidey Heuck's baked chicken breast recipe, so I used that instead of the turkey and Indian spice mixture. It came out great. I'm doing my best to be more efficient and economical in using leftovers, so it was a win-win.
Marisa
I used the last of the roast turkey with what I had - borlotti beans, spinach and threw in last of pork tenderloin from Christmas . Very good!!!
Robin
Ounce per ounce, De Cecco pasta has the same amount of dietary fiber (2g), and more protein (8g as opposed to 5g) per serving as the "10-minute farro" sold at TraderJoe's. Maybe the pre-cooking method used to make the TJ's product cook faster leaches out some of the nutritional value you'd find in non-pre-cooked farro, but if you're looking for a nutritious grain that can be ready in 10 minutes or so, DeCecco is the clear winner.
MaineChef
Delicious soup used chicken and substituted cannellini beans and kale instead of chickpeas and cilantro (cause that’s what I had). Otherwise followed the recipe. Perfect on this cold January day! Will make again.
lizadams
Piccolo farro from Marsh Hen Mill is perfect for this recipe. Yum!
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