Michy's Foods

Hello there!  With all these chilly days and nights, I have been in the mood for warm, comforting soup.  I rummaged through our freshly stocked vegetable drawer, thank you CSA, and pulled out some delicious beet greens, kale, carrots and onions.  I grabbed some farro and lentils from the pantry and I was on my way.  On a side note, I am a huge soup fan.  I could probably eat soup every night.  I just love it!  I especially love making a huge pot of soup that I can leave in my dutch oven, throw in the fridge and reheat throughout the week.  It makes the perfect quick meal.  If you have time to spare, you can leave this soup to simmer on the stove for hours, but if you’re crunched for time, it can be ready in 30-45 minutes.  Here we go…

Lentil & Farro Soup with Tender Greens
Serves 4-6

1/2 C dried lentils, preferably sprouted
1 C cooked farro; brown rice or quinoa would also work
2 generous bunches of chopped greens; beet, kale, chard, spinach
3-4 small carrots, chopped
2 small yellow onions, one diced & one cut in half
4 cloves
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 C vegetable broth
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp italian herbs
2 bay leaves
Salt & Pepper

Start by boiling the lentils. Take the cloves and stud the halved onion. Fill a large pot with water, add the rinsed lentils, studded onion and bay leaf. An onion with cloves may sound weird, but I tell you this will add so much flavor to your lentils. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. If lentils are sprouted, cooking time will only be about 15 minutes. If they’re not, it will be closer to 30-40 minutes. When done, rinse and set aside. (Discard onion and bay leaf) In a large soup pot, add a dash of olive oil or thin layer of broth (for a lower fat soup) and add onion, carrots and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and let sweat for about 3-4 minutes or until onions are soft. Add the bay leaf and seasoning and toss to coat. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the greens and another pinch of salt and lower to medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until greens are tender. Add the lentils, farro, worcestershire and another pinch of salt and pepper and lower to simmer. Let cook on a very low simmer for about 15-20 minutes. At this point, taste it and decide if you need more salt and season accordingly. Serve with warm, crusty bread. Enjoy!

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