Red Bean and Farro Vegetable Soup

Slice or chop the vegetables into a 6 quart pot. Drizzle with EVOO and sauté until they are just starting to get tender.

1/2 bunch of celery

2-3 big carrots

1/2 green pepper

2/3 lg. yellow onion

1/2 med. green cabbage

4 big cloves garlic

3T single source EVOO

Add the following then simmer, covered, on low heat for an hour.

I used 2± quarts chicken bone broth, not the broth shown

1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes and juice

garlic salt, fresh ground black pepper

1-3T powdered chicken soup base

1/2c farro - ancient grain 

2/3c dried red beans that have been cooked

-or- 1-2 cans, drained and rinsed, red beans

After about an hour, check the farro and vegetables for doneness and check the flavors, making any adjustments you'd like in the seasoning. 

This is a great soup for these chilly winter days. . .Lin

Super Bowl Chicken Chili

1c small red beans

14oz. chicken breast meat

2T sun dried tomato olive oil

½ med. white onion

½ lg. purple onion

1½c chopped celery and tops

2 red, 2 yellow, 2 orange mini-peppers

2t each: chili lime, cumin, hot Hungarian paprika

14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes

or ~ 3 frozen tomatoes

1t sugar

1c dry pasta - optional

Cook the beans your favorite way, rinse in cold water, drain and set aside.  Cut the chicken in small pieces into a 5qt. pot.  Saute' with the oil and a little bit of the onion finely chopped.  

Simmer-sizzle this together for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chop-sliced vegetables and seasonings.  Simmer another 20 minutes, adding a little water if needed to keep everything from sticking or getting too brown.  Slide the skins off the tomatoes, core and chop when the tomatoes are thawed to popsicle stage.  Add them, the sugar, and the drained-rinsed beans to the pot.  Add another 4 cups of water.  Check and adjust the flavors at this point if needed.

If the chili is too soupy, you could thicken the liquid with a flour paste, or add some pasta that was cooked separately until half done.  Drain and add to the chili pot.  As it continues to cook, it will absorb some liquid and add starchiness, which will help thicken it.

Dig in and root for your favorite team 😉 . . . Lin