Farro & Lemongrass Chicken Soup

MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS

Hearty, healthy, and delicious, this is the adult version of chicken noodle soup. Farro isn’t gluten free, so if you’d like to adapt this recipe, you could either leave it out or add GF noodles later in the cooking process. This soup would be fabulous in vegetarian form as well, so you could also simply leave out the chicken. Lemongrass can be found in most grocery stores, either fresh or in a tube. It adds a lovely lemony flavor without the addition of citrus, which is off limits on a migraine diet. If you like, use meat picked from a “naked” rotisserie chicken.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)

1 cup chopped leeks (about 2 stalks; white and pale-green parts only)

1 cup chopped carrots (about 1 large carrot)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 lemongrass stalks, ends trimmed to about 4-inch pieces, halved lengthwise

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

7–8 cups Chicken Stock (page 81) or Vegetable Broth (page 80), plus more if needed to thin the soup

½ cup pearled farro

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon ground sage

2–3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1–2 cups roughly chopped kale (save a few pieces for garnish)

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, leeks, and carrots and sauté until vegetables have softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, lemongrass stalks, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the stock or broth, farro, thyme, and sage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until farro is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the lemongrass stalks and stir in the chicken and kale. Simmer until the kale is softened and slightly wilted, another 5 minutes. Farro continues to soak up liquid, so thin the soup with additional stock or broth if needed. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra kale. Serve hot.