Vegan Diaries - Middle Eastern Stew

 The weather here has been a little unpredictable lately.  It is either warm, close to 50 degrees F, or a nice, crisp 20F.    With the weather being so unpredictable, I find that a nice bowl of soup or stew can be very comforting any time.

As dinner rolls around, I am always looking for meal inspiration.  This Middle Eastern Stew is packed with lots of vegetables and some farro thrown in for added protein.  

A few fun facts about farro:    

Farro was a staple crop used in the Middle East.  It was first used in breads.

Farro is a whole grain wheat that is high in fiber and high in protein.

Farro has a nutty flavor.

Farro contains other nutrients like magnesium, iron and B vitamins.

Farro is known as an ancient grain.

With all of the health benefits it makes a wonderful addition to any soup or stew. 

Here's the recipe:

Middle Eastern Stew

ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup chopped celery

5 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups vegetable broth

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup farro

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

4 cups chopped kale

1 14.5oz can cannellini beans

1 TBSP lemon juice

directions:

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat.

Add carrots, onion, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, farro, oregano and the bay leaf and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Stir in kale and cook for another 15 minutes (or until kale and farro are tender).

Add in cannellini beans and heat through.

Remove bay leaf and stir in the lemon juice.  Feel free to add in additional broth or water to thin out soup.

Serve.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* I like to serve with a little feta cheese.  If you are keeping it vegan, like me, Violife has a wonderful vegan feta cheese.

*If you are unable to find farro, feel free to substitute rice or quinoa in the recipe.

* This pairs nicely with some warm, crusty bread.

If you make Middle Eastern Stew, let me know what you think in the comments below.

Enjoy!