Chickpea and Farro Soup with Fennel and Chard
Chickpea and Farro Soup with Fennel and Chard is a delicately flavored, Mediterranean-style option that is loaded with brain-health benefits.
Notes
Try substituting barley for farro if desired. Farro is a type of wheat and therefore contains gluten. Use brown rice if a gluten-free substitute is needed.
Ingredients
- 1 fennel bulb stalks and fronds attached if possible
- 1 bunch Swiss chard any color
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 1 onion chopped
- Kosher salt
- 6 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more for garnish
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 14.5- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pearled or semi-pearled farro rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 15- ounce can low-sodium chickpeas undrained
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Remove stalks from fennel bulb and set aside. Halve, core, and chop the bulb.
- Remove the Swiss chard leaves from the stems. Set the leaves aside; chop the stems.
- Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high until shimmering. Add onion, chopped fennel bulb, chopped chard stems, and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in vegetable broth, tomatoes, farro, and bay leaves. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Turn down heat to medium-high and simmer until farro is tender but chewy, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While farro is cooking, remove the fronds (the frilly leaves that resemble dill) from the fennel stalks. Discard stalks; chop the fronds and set aside. Roughly chop the chard leaves; set aside.
- Add chickpeas, chard leaves, and nutritional yeast (if using) to soup and simmer until leaves are wilted and chickpeas are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve, drizzling with olive oil and garnishing with fennel fronds and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.