Chicken Soup with Farro, Kale, and Turmeric

Ingredients

• 2-3 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1/2 cup semi-pearled Farro
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced in medium-sized pieces
• 4 cups finely chopped kale
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. If you’re not starting with cooked chicken, put two chicken breasts in just enough water or chicken stock to barely cover them, and cook them for about 20 minutes at a very low simmer. Let the chicken sit until it’s cool enough to handle, then shred it or cut it into medium-sized pieces.
2. Warm the oil in a heavy medium-sized soup pot. Stir in the chopped onion, chopped celery, and chopped carrots, and sauté them just until they begin to soften. Add the dried thyme, dried sage, and ground turmeric, and cook everything together for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and keep the soup at a low simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the Farro, then let it keep simmering for about 30 minutes more. While that’s happening, finely chop the kale, washing it first if needed, and dice the cooked chicken into medium-sized pieces.
4. Once the 30 minutes are up, taste or check the Farro to make sure it’s beginning to soften. Add the chopped kale and diced chicken, then let the soup simmer over very low heat for about 30-40 minutes more. If it looks thicker than you want when the kale and chicken go in, add about 2 cups of water at this point.
5. When the kale is tender and the soup tastes like everything has settled in together, season it with salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, and serve hot.