This comforting and hearty soup is great for the cold weather that is coming our way! I make it in the Instant Pot, but it is also lovely on the stove and makes the house smell heavenly either way. If you cannot find or don’t like wheat berries, substitute with barley, farro, brown rice, or throw in a handful of small pasta when adding the broccoli. Parmesan rind can be bought at the cheese shop or just cut off a wedge of the good stuff!

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 carrots, diced – about 1 cup
  • 3 sticks celery, diced – about 1 cup
  • 1/2 large onion, diced – about 1 cup
  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 # dry white beans
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup wheat berries
  • 8-10 cups broth
  • 4 oz Parmesan rind
  • 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1 pound broccoli, cut bite sized
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan (or more)
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  1. Pull out your pressure cooker and set to saute. When it is hot, add in the olive oil, carrot, celery and onion. Saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir well, add the garlic and continue stirring until garlic is fragrant.
  2. Mix in the bay leaves, wheat berries, dry beans and Parmesan rind. Add salt and pepper, then the broth (any kind will work, even just plain water.)
  3. Put the lid on the pressure cooker, check that the valve is closed and set to “Beans” which is 40 minutes. After the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
  4. Stir the soup and taste it. Are the beans soft and creamy? Salt and pepper good? Adjust the seasoning as needed, then stir in the sage and broccoli. If you like the broccoli al dente, just let it rest for 5 minutes before stirring in the Parmesan and serving. We like the beans extra soft and the broccoli well cooked – I put the top back on and cook with pressure for an additional 2 minutes.