Italian Laird Lentil + Farro Soup

We love this soup with a thick slice of crusty bread (always with a nice pad of butter). The richly flavoured broth is perfect topped with parmesan and a good glug of great tasting olive oil. A complete meal on its own, you'll be happy to have this one in the fridge and ready to heat in a just a few minutes. 

Italian Laird Lentil + Farro Soup 
~ adapted from Gimme Some Oven
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced 
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup diced celery (about 2 celery stalks, leaves removed)
2 tsp salt 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 litre (4-5) cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 1/4 cup cooked Flourist Laird Lentils
1/2 cup dry Flourist Farro
1 396ml can diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
black pepper to taste
a pinch of red chilli flakes 
freshly-grated parmesan cheese
finely-chopped fresh parsley or basil

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and salt and sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, cooked lentils, Farro, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and crushed pepper, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot partially with the lid. Keeping the soup at a low simmer, continue cooking for about 30-40 minutes or until the Farro is cooked cooked through, stirring occasionally. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Serve hot, garnished with optional freshly grated fresh parmesan, and herbs.

Batch Cooking Laird Lentils
To prepare for a week of tasty meals using Flourist Laird Lentils, soak an entire box the day before you plan to use them. Open the box and empty the contents into a large bowl. Top with clean cold water (to cover by 6 inches), and allow to soak on the counter for 8-24 hours. When ready to cook, drain and rinse the lentils in a colander. They will be well hydrated and about triple the volume. 

To cook, place a metal vegetable steamer at the bottom of a large soup pot. Fill the pot with cold water to just reach the bottom of the steamer basket. Add the soaked lentils to the pot with the steamer basket and bring the water to a boil on high. Turn the heat to medium-high and steam for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are just tender. Remove from the heat carefully and toss in a large bowl with a few tbsp of olive oil to coat. Transfer the cooked lentils to a container and keep in the fridge for up to a week until ready to use.