This one is similar to the Chunky Tuscan Soup in the archives with a few tiny tweaks. We’re swapping in fennel instead of cabbage, and adding farro for some heft. I always prefer a canned, crushed tomato over diced so applied that here. Get all your vegetables tiny! It just makes for a better textured soup.

If you happen to be the sort that saves your parm rinds, this is the time to throw ‘em in the broth! I keep a bag where I keep cheeses and store the ends in there until needed. They last for months, a year probably, in the fridge. It steeps some flavor into an otherwise light broth.

The farro can be replaced with other grains, see footnote. There is both a quick-cooking one and whole grain farro, the later takes a little longer to cook. It’s done when it is tender but not mushy, similar to steel-cut oats.

I listed the sausage as optional. If you skip it, you can either add another can of white beans, or just have a brothier soup.