Last night when I was figuring out what we would do for dinner, I realized that I only had a few remaining vegetables left from our CSA. The share is over until next summer and I’m a little bit sad about it. I loved getting vegetables that I don’t normally purchase and it was good to cook with things that were a bit out of my comfort zone. The vegetables that come from the farm aren’t rinsed and aren’t “perfectly” shaped – they come with the dirt still attached and I’m fine with that. Though I’m happy that wiping dirt from my countertops won’t be a chore until next year.
This soup is an ode to the last CSA of the season as almost all the vegetables are the local, organic ones from the farm. It’s a hearty soup that is full of flavour and texture. The soup has a mild sweetness from the beets and a bit of heat from the fresh chilis. I wanted to add in some lentils and farro and they were great additions. And because this was a “cleaning out the fridge” soup, it’s easily adaptable to what you’ve got on hand. Rutabaga, turnips, yams, potatoes or whatever you’ve got lingering in your crisper would be lovely. As the soup sits, it becomes thicker and more like a stew. We happily ate it both ways.
While we Canadians had Thanksgiving last month, it’s nice to have a reminder of things to be thankful for. And I’d love to say thank you for everyone who reads this blog. I love all your comments and emails and support. While I love writing about what comes out of my kitchen, I really couldn’t do it without you all, so a huge THANK YOU dear readers!
Last week I mentioned my etsy shop and I wanted to put it out there that this Monday November 29th I’m having a one day sale: 15% off anything in my shop. Just enter POPPY15 at checkout.
root vegetable soup with farro & lentils du puy
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small head of celariac, diced
1 small parsnip, diced
1 beet, diced
2 thai chilis, minced (optional)
salt & pepper
1 t dried rosemary, lightly crushed
1 t dried thyme
1 t smoked paprika
1 t chili powder
1/2 c lentils du puy, picked over & rinsed
1/2 c farro, picked over & rinsed
2 T tomato paste
8 c vegetable stockIn a large stock pot, heat olive oil and saute the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery until soft and fragrant. Add in the remaining vegetables, along with chilis, a good pinch of salt, a hammer of black pepper, rosemary, thyme, paprika and chili powder. Let the vegetables commune with one another and sweat it out – about 8 minutes or so, stir occasionally. Add in the lentils, farro and stir in the tomato paste.
Add the stock, making sure the vegetables are covered by about 2 inches of liquid. Put the lid on and let simmer away over moderate heat for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables, lentils and farro are tender. Taste & adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve in deep bowls with some crusty bread on the side.
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This sounds amazing. I’ve had trouble finding farro in Vancouver. Where do you get yours?
Thanks for sharing
This is a perfect lunch for work. I’ve had farro before in Greece but I’ve never made it myself. I can’t wait to try it out. It looks so delicious and healthy.
Hi, can I just substitute farro with regular wheat. I can’t seem to find one in the grocers near me. Have you tried it? Your dish definitely looks delicious.
It is definitely crazy to believe that CSA season is over. Where did the time go?
This soup sounds seriously delicious. Hearty in all the right ways.
Looks incredible. A huge bowl of comfort which I would happily eat with a couple slices of crusty/crunchy bread.
Thea, I found the farro at Granville Island – but I’ve also seen it at the Gourmet Warehouse. Hope that helps!
It would be a great lunch, Bijoux. Farro is nice as it has a good bite along with the lentils du puy which don’t turn to mush. Enjoy!
Sweets, do you mean wheat berries? If so, yes. Go right ahead.
Joanne, I know, I’m so bummed! I could have signed on to a winter share, but my husband who picks up our share by bike wasn’t too thrilled about the idea 🙂
Thanks Tracy, it’s a great bowl of comfort. Bread nice but not needed 🙂
This looks and sounds delicious, so healthy and perfect on a chilly evening. I will definitely try this recipe, thanks!
I love a good hearty soup with lots of vegetables. It’s meant to be the first day of summer here in Australia, but at the moment where I live it’s raining and cold, so a soup would be lovely on a day like this!
oh thanks! Need your approval before I’ll give it a go. 🙂
Soup is perfect for cleaning out the frig. I’ll bet what you’ve shown here will inspire some readers to do something a little more creative with their Thanksgiving leftovers. Even though I made a big pot of Turkey Soup and sort of a Turkey Curry – I’ve still got some turkey remaining in a Tupperware container in the frig.
Thanks for the suggestions – I will now try and hunt down some farro in this city!
Thanks Natasha, it’s a good one. Very homey and comforting.
Susan, I’m envious of your summer, even though there is rain. Enjoy!
Thanks CS.
I hope so Denise! Soups are ideal for cleaning out the fridge.
Glad I could help, Thea!
Lentils du puy! Tasty, tasty food items! This looks so good.
Why not put CSA veggies in the sink and rinse them before they even get to the counter?
ET, Often my sink is full of dishes sadly so it isn’t my first option. One of these I’ll get a dishwasher and then my sink won’t need to be a holding tank for dirty dishes.
Somehow, my lovely Jeannette, your blog fell out of my RSS feed. And that is a crying shame because yours is one of my favorites. I love the idea of farro and lentils together. What a nourishing and beautiful soup.
Oh no, Dana. Glad you’re back to commenting again. Phew, you were definitely missed.
Where can I buy farro in Vancouver? I found it ONCE at Costco and my family loved it. When I returned to buy it again it seemed that Costo quit carrying it. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thank you.
Joan, I found farro at the Gourmet Warehouse and at Granville Island (there’s a shopkeeper who has a lot of dried/bulk goods). Good luck!
I made this. When you publish the book, be sure to put the last six ingredients into the recipe. I thought the soup was too thin as written, so I used a stick blender which gave it a thicker texture. A dollop of non-fat greek yogurt on top of the bowl gives a nice contrast. Not my favorite stitch in book of Pleat, but not bad.