Saturdays in the Kitchen: Ali Cayne of Haven’s Kitchen’s Farro Chard Soup Recipe

It may have soared into the 60s this past weekend, but as soon as Old Saint Nick swooped into our living rooms and back out the chimney, the cold air came rushing back in. Not that we're complaining: winter is one of our favorite seasons. We love layering on the big cozy sweaters and scooping extra mini marshmallows into our hot cocoa while warming our frozen toes by the fire. And of course, we love cooking wintery foods – the sort of hearty, family-style dinners that make you feel all warm and happy inside. Today's recipe fits the bill. It's a farro soup from Ali Cayne, the founder of Haven's Kitchen, and we found it on domino.com. It features dried cherries (interesting, right?) and rainbow chard, one of our favorite hearty greens to cook with. Farro's one of our new favorite grains (sorry, quinoa!), so we were thrilled to find yet another way to incorporate it into our diet. Trust us: this soup is soul-soothing good.

FARRO SOUP WITH RAINBOW CHARD AND DRIED CHERRIES

Serves 6

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, 
  divided, plus more for drizzling
• 2 cups farro
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 pound (about 2 bunches) 
  rainbow chard, stemmed, leaves 
  cut into ribbons, stems chopped
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1–2 cups grated Pecorino 
  or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• freshly ground pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add the farro and stir until lightly toasted, making sure the farro doesn't stick to the pot. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the farro grains have begun to splay open.  Remove from heat. Do not drain.

In a separate pot, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme, and rosemary, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped chard stems and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Continue to cook until the stems are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked farro, broth, and dried cherries. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until ready to serve.

To serve, add the chard ribbons to the simmering soup and allow to wilt slightly, about 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with cheese, a few grinds of pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.