quick creamy farro & chickpea soup

Quick Creamy Farro & Chickpea Soup

serves 4.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced celery
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg (I used dried)
• prosciutto, 1 tablespoon chopped (I left this out this time)
• 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup farro or hulled barley
• 5 cups chicken broth
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Add the farro to a small pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes or until farro is cooked.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and prosciutto (if using) and cook gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown.
3. Add the nutmeg, bay leaves, and marjoram to the onion mixture.
4. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the canned chickpeas.  Place in a bowl with 1 cup of chicken broth.
5. Once the farro is cooked, drain some of the cooking liquid into the bowl with the chickpeas and chicken broth and dispense of the rest.
6. Add the cooked farro to the onion mixture along with 4 cups of the chicken broth.
7. Puree the chickpeas with an immersion blender or food processor.  Add the pureed chickpeas to the soup mixture.
8. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least a half an hour with no lid so some of the liquid cooks out and the soup thickens.
9. Remove bay leaves.  Season soup with salt and pepper.
10. Sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.