One of the most wonderful things – and when I’m feeling pessimistic, one of the few wonderful things – about being an adult is getting to eat whatever you want, whenever you want to have it. No one is going to tell you to get your hand out of the candy drawer, or avoid that third cookie. No one is going to remind you to eat your fruits and vegetables and that, no, potatoes are not the same as leafy greens. You can make whatever choices you want to make, and until now I really was quite convinced I was making all the right ones.
I guess I tend to have my fair share of sweets in the house, because I like to bake and it makes me happy to share things on this blog. But I also tend to get very focused on creating these elaborate dishes and then completely forget to do things like eat vegetables. If you asked me a month ago if I was a balanced eater, I definitely would have said yes. But I had an epiphany last weekend and realized that if I’m honest with myself, I’ve actually been eating mostly meat and carbs, and also not feeling so great. I took the opportunity to do a very produce-heavy grocery run and make a bunch of vegetable-based meals for the week…and it’s been a game changer!
On the docket for my marathon cooking weekend was a roasted cauliflower salad (which I’ll share next week), lemon-braised potatoes and celery (celery is such an underrated vegetable when cooked!), two pounds of haricots verts browned slightly in olive oil (just the way I like them), a very traditional and hearty tabbouleh (perfect for weekday lunches) and this wonderful farro and white bean soup.
I’m not always soup’s biggest fan, so I appreciate when there’s a lot of different stuff floating about in it for variety. I’ve made this one before in a bit of a hurry so I wanted to capture it and share it here, because it’s an amazing recipe for several reasons. First and foremost, it is extremely easy. You do need to soak your beans overnight, but if you remember to do that then you pretty much just need to slice a couple of items and open a few cans. Second, it has SO MUCH flavor. It’s garlicky, sweet, tangy and rich, and it’s incredibly hearty. And last, it makes SO MUCH soup. Like 18 servings. So many servings that I didn’t have enough vessels to store it in and freeze it. But if you have the freezer capacity, what a great way to eat soup for the next month!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Great Northern beans—picked over, soaked overnight and drained
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups farro (9 oz.)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced carrots
- 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced celery root
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced garlic
- Two 28-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 lb. red Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, cover the soaked beans with water (at least 4 inches) and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the beans are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 6 cups of the cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the farro until al dente, about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Wipe out the large pot and heat the olive oil in it. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots, celery root and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices have reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved bean cooking liquid and 14 cups of water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in the beans, farro and Swiss chard and simmer over moderate heat until the chard is wilted and the soup is hot, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the herbs with the jalapeño, lemon zest and olive oil; season with salt.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the herb oil and grated cheese.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2017/11/13/farro-and-white-bean-soup-with-swiss-chard-and-herb-oil/
